Bitter Sweet Goodbye
by Rashel k
Summary: 'Pucca's heart skidded to a halt and the world seemed to blur out'... Pucca stops chasing Garu only to be taken captive by a more dangerous version of Tobe. Garu, unnerved by hidden emotions that are leaking out, goes after her. Rated M. for violence ec.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, this is my first Pucca story so I hope it's alright :) Rated M for later chapters. (Blood and the likes if you were wondering)**

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><p>Bitter Sweet Goodbye.<p>

Two days. It was two days till Pucca's eighteenth birthday. She couldn't wait, and her whole body buzzed with excitement. She stood in front of her mirror, gazing at the young woman that stared defiantly back with a warm air of confidence that was usually wrapped around her like a blanket, her midnight black hair up in it's usual style, buns on either side of her head. She had grown to be about 5"7, which was just slightly taller than her best friend Ching.

That reminded Pucca that she and Ching had plans to meet up at the doors of Goh-Rong, the most well known restaurant her guardians and herself run, to decide on what they were going to do for her special day. Checking that her mascara hadn't smudged, smiled at herself in the mirror one last time, before flinging on her signature red dress and black leggings. She had out grew tights when she was thirteen as with her continuous bad luck of getting into a fight with either Tobe or Ring-ring, an obnoxious girl who flaunts a little too much skin nowadays as it seemed to Pucca that Ring-ring had decided that the age of twenty-one was an appropriate age to reveal what is meant to be hidden by what society would call 'clothes'. A foreign concept to Ring-ring apparently, Pucca thought sadly. She hated the idea that the girl she used to argue with has taken such a drastic turn. Shrugging it off Pucca glanced at her flashing red clock that read 8:23am then dashed out of her room.

She practically flew down the stairs, called goodbye to her uncles and official guardians Linguine, Uncle Dumpling and Ho, who had decided to open the restaurant a little late today as they had needed the extra rest to recover from the late work night they had the day before, and skipped out of the door grabbing her scooters keys from the counter by the door on her way out. She danced around the side of the house to see her small scooter that she had since she came to live with her uncles, though it had needed upgrading as she had grown up. Grabbing a helmet she mounted the scooter, fixed her helmet securely before revving the small engine. It sprung alive with a graceful purr. Grinning she set off, enjoying the sight of the villagers going about their work, a few of them fondly calling to her good-morning. She caught sight of her best friend chatting to her boyfriend Abyo. Pucca was vaguely surprised that he hadn't ripped his t-shirt in half already. His familiar habit that hardly lifted a brow from Pucca anymore, but whenever he did it she casted a glance to see Ching's reaction. No matter how many times he did it she still stared at his revealed flesh as if she wanted to dig her nails in it and scream for him to take her there and then. When she caught Pucca looking at her knowingly she'd look away, a sweet blush rushing to her pale cheeks. It never failed to amuse Pucca.

Ching and Abyo had gotten together only a month ago, at Ching's own eighteenth, and they've been inseparable since. Pucca pulled up besides them, removing her helmet before she greeted them.

"Hey Pucca," Ching beamed at her best friend. Ching was wearing her purple dress, an adult version of the one she had worn when she was a child, as she had once told Pucca that Abyo had complemented her. He actually said she suited purple. Abyo, the most clueless guy, besides his own best friend, about love and well... Expressing feeling in general. Pucca smiled whole-heartedly at the two.

"You excited for your birthday?" Abyo injected. He himself was nineteen and had his birthday in the autumn gone. A sweet rose sent drifted into Pucca's nose, over running her senses. She glanced up at the roses that were growing on the trees beside the entrance to Goh-Rong. She loved the smell of roses, and the spring was her favourite time of they year. The wind still held a bitter edge to it as it blew through the village, but the promise of future flowers and soft sunny rays were welcoming.

Still gazing off at the rose buds that were growing to a healthy size, almost ready to bloom, she answered Abyo's question. "Of cause. I can't wait!" She grinned at the couple showing her enthusiasm. Ching then dove into the many ideas for the spectacular party that she was planning to throw, which Abyo took as his Queue to leave. He gave Ching a quick peck, leaving her blushing in embarrassment and delight, bid goodbye to Pucca before sprinting off towards the training grounds for the Ninja's of the village. Pucca stared off after him in thought.

"I know what you're thinking." Pucca snapped back onto reality, blinking at her friend in astonishment.

"What do you mean?" Of cause Pucca already knew what she meant. Ching was always right when it came to it.  
>Ching looked at Pucca with a smirk playing at her lips. "Oh, I only meant that you were daydreaming of rattle snakes and what you're going to have for lunch today-" she sighed and allowed the smile to slip into place. "You know fine well what I'm talking about. When did you last see him?"<p>

"Actually, your first guess was correct. I think I'm going to get the fried chicken with my rice." Pucca looked at the expected expression she was receiving before sighing herself. "Yesterday. He was training and I kinda... Interrupted him."

"You tackled him to the ground and covered his face with kisses," Ching matter of factly corrected. Pucca glared in frustration at her friend. It wasn't the fact that Ching had corrected her; it was the fact that she was right. Old habits die hard? Understatement. All she knew about showing emotions such as love hasn't changed since she was little. Showering him in affection was what her instincts told her to do every time she caught sight of that tall lean figure. She was beginning to realise the more she pressured him with such actions the more he seemed to pull away.

She was scared.

She was afraid that if she stopped he would loose interest in her, forget who she was. She was afraid if she didn't she would drive him into someone else's arms. Loosing him forever. Even thinking it causes a cold chill to attack her body. She allowed Ching to glimpse at her pained vulnerable interior. Ching was shocked to see her friend so sad. She always thought Pucca was invincible, she was pushed away for her beloved but she had always kept her head and spirits high, closing in all the hurt it had actually caused. She had believed that Pucca was strong with a secure determination, and she never saw how much putting on such a hard exterior had cost her. Ching felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. Her best friend had been suffering in silence for god knows how long, and yet she still smiled and comforted Ching when she had a problem disregarding her own.

Ching, eyes filling to the brim, pulled Pucca into a solid hug, making a resolve to help Pucca in anyway she could. Pucca, happy for the silent comfort, clung to Ching begging for her weaknesses to disappear. She hated to burden her friend with her problems.

Forcing tears back Pucca reluctantly pulled away and smiled. "So what are your plans for my big birthday bash?" she joked. Ching gratefully took the conversation turn into her stride, naming bands and venues that she thought would be perfect, neither of them mentioning the earlier subject to Pucca's relief.

Soon after Pucca's uncles arrived to open the restaurant. Ching settled herself on one of the tables, ordering the house special. Pucca slipped into her job easily, serving customers and occasionally chatting casually to them. A happy and polite waitress gained more tips than mopey one's, and they were saving their money to buy a new sign to hang outside and a few spaces in the media for advertisement.

A surge sprung through Pucca as she noticed someone else assigning themselves to one of the empty tables. Ching had long gone, promising to get back to her when she finalised a few ideas before leaving to check up on Abyo. Many of the customers had left and it was slowing down as it was coming to the end of the day. Pucca glanced at the clock as she busted a table nearest the kitchen. It was almost seven. We shut at half eight, Pucca thought absently. He must have been training quite hard if he hadn't come in at dinner.

Taking a calming breath, Pucca walked over to the newly seated customer. She was eyed suspiciously. She never walked when she saw this particular customer. She always tackled him, or somehow steals a kiss from him. She reached his table, her face set with polite indifference. I'm going to stop this childish game, Pucca thought sternly. She was sick of this dragged out game of tug-of-war. Whenever she thought she had gained footing on the way to achieving some affection from him the next day he just seemed even more distant.

"Hello Garu. May I take your order?"  
>Something's wrong, Garu thought. "I'll have the daily special with extra chilly, please." He matched her indifference though his face still had a slight hint of confusion laced in it. He had spent the whole day wondering where she had been. He was surprised and edgy before he came to Goh-Rong. Pucca had never spared him a day without trying, and ultimately succeeding, to steal kisses and hugs. Over time he'd grown used to staying on guard for her random attacks of affection. The absence of such affection had unnerved him, getting him in such an edgy state that he had found himself at the entrance of Goh-Rong. He wanted to know what had kept Pucca so busy that she had forgotten about him. The thought of her forgetting him worried him more than he'd ever admit to. He sat there staring into Pucca's dark eyes, searching for the unknown, and he began to doubt that he should even be there. Something was different and he wasn't sure he liked it.<p>

"Right away," Pucca strained a smile before she twirled on her heal to stalk into the kitchen to repeat his order to Ho who nodded but was too busy igniting the noodles in front of him. Pucca walked out, resisting the urge to glance at where the object of her desperate affection was aimed at. She refused to allow her feelings to portray as she served her other customers. The whole time eyes burned into her back urging her to turn and meet them defiantly as they once used to.

Watching Pucca smoothly check up on customers gave Garu the time to appreciate what a fine woman she had grew to become. He never truly noticed how her dress hugged her body just the right amount to draw interest from the many men seated in the area, though Pucca failed to see it, but it still left room for the imagination. Garu sneered at himself. He shouldn't be looking at Pucca like that; reminding himself of how she had ran into him forcing him to the floor only twenty-four hours ago. How her body had melted into him, fitting perfectly against his hard 6"plus figure. Her firm generous breasts sliding against his chest as she reached up to kiss his lips and-

He shook himself mentally, scolding his pathetic attempts to stop the memory from flooding back. He felt himself strain against his black bottoms, reminding him that at the age of nineteen he had to be careful to restrain his thoughts. Garu didn't understand why he had such a reaction to Pucca. She was still the annoying, irritating, determined... He sighed. Damn.

Pucca silently delivered Garu's meal, snapping him back to the present. Pucca noticed the light pink shade that was rising to his cheekbones. She disregarded it thinking it was nothing. By the time she had busted her other tables Garu was gone, his money settled neatly besides his empty plates. Pucca snatched up the money, noticing that there was a generous tip before pocketing it in the small apron she had wrapped around her waist, and then collected the dishes to help out Dada who was a little behind on his work.

That night Pucca went to sleep exhausted. She dreamed of nothing, the way she was beginning to like it. Her dreams, since she first met Garu, had been absorbed in her hopes of him returning her feelings. They were beautiful and made her heart ache in longing. That was the reason she hated them now. They brought fantasies and false hopes into her life and every time they left her feeling alone and lost of what to do.

...

Garu's, on the other hand, was a mess. He dreamed of pain, distress and death. He writhed in his sheets dreaming that they were suffocating him but it was slow and painful. He wanted it to end. He stood there helplessly as the village that he had sworn to protect was burning down along with its people. His promise was disintegrating, just like his vow of silence he thought bitterly. He refused to regret breaking it. If he hadn't his parents would have died a lot slower. He focused back on the havoc before him. He saw his best friend burning, flames engulfing his arms as he tries to desperately pull away fallen logs of wood from his girlfriend. But Ching was already dead, crushed. Garu tried to shout to his comrade to hurry and leave before he joined her but his voice was stolen by the ropes that were snaking themselves around his neck restricting his airflow. He saw Ring-ring sprawled along the floor, her life's blood seeping for the deep gash in her stomach, he face forever frozen in a picture of horror. He saw his beloved cat Mio staked upon a roof not too far away, his black fur striped on one side to reveal the stake that spiked through his petite body.

Garu cried out for this torture to end, for him to join his friends in the after life. Anything to stop the sight of his dead comrades from swirling in front of his eyes. His vision blurred. He blinked rapidly to clear it but soon regretted it.

Before him was a dark haired girl, her hair haven fallen from her original style to hang around her shoulders but it didn't cover her distorted features. Her eyes were closed, streaks of pink ran down her cheeks as if she had been crying but had no more to produce, blood making hair stick to the side of her face where a long cut from her forehead to her neck lay. She was tied to a thick wooden pole; her clothes shredded so much so it wasn't even clothes but rags that had glues itself to her flesh by the steadily flowing blood. You could barely see the shreds as its colour matched her bright blood too closely. One of her legs was bent in an inhumanly position, clearly broken and unusable, her other was torn to the bone. She was muttering silently, almost praying, as she died.

The ropes that held Garu dragged him closer, his refusal almost none-existent. He begged for this to stop. He didn't want to recognise her; he didn't want to hear her last dying words; he didn't want any of this. Despite his struggles he was eventually dragged close enough to hear her whispers. He couldn't deny it now. He was too close to deceive himself any longer. He recognised this girl all too well, even in her battered state. The ropes made him lean forward so his face was looking right into her now opened eyes. She stared unseeingly as she murmured her plea once more.

"G-G... Garu... Why Garu...?" Garu's head was spinning. Why Garu? He caused this? His dismay and guilt made him chock. She spoke again, "be... Saf- safe... Garu... Goodbye..." Her eyes began to close but not before Garu caught a glimpse of a glazed over look her eyes were beginning to gain. He screamed. He screamed in rage; he screamed in pain; he screamed in guilt. Tears dripped down his face but he didn't care. He was past caring. He had killed them, he had killed Her... The girl he... The girl he...

Screams woke Garu up, causing him to jump up. It took a moment for it to register that it was his own screams that had woken him. His legs gave under him. He collapsed on his mattress, entangled in his bedding that was no longer trying to suffocate him, turning his burning gaze to the window noting the darkness that still covers his home. Rage still coursed through him from his dream but it was subsiding to his alarm. It left behind guilt and grief. He'd much rather the blinding rage than this emptiness that was entering his numb body. That dream had disturbed him to his core.

He resisted the urge to take off and check up on his friends as he knew that they would be sleeping as he should be, but he refused to try and sleep again in fear that his dream would return but worse than before. He doubted it could have been though. He stared out of the window once more letting his mind wonder to his main worry and confusion.

Softly he spoke to the eerie silence that had lapsed over the area since he woke up, "Pucca..."

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you liked this chapter ^_^ It gets better don't worry. Please R&R :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Second Chapter! Yey! :P Hope you like it, and don't forget to review!**

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><p>"Pucca!"<p>

Pucca's eyes flew opened to regard the intruder of her peaceful slumber with cold exhaustion. Ching was bouncing on Pucca's bed with an ecstatic expression which was exploding from the girls soft features. "Ching," groaned Pucca as she attempted to shove Ching off her bed and pull the cover over her head.

"Oh, no you don't." Cold air rushed to meet Pucca's clammy skin making her shiver. She propped herself up on one elbow to glare at her grinning soon to be beaten to a pulp best friend. "You gotta get up now. We have lots of plans and I need your opinion on them," she spoke as if that was a reason to come barging in on Pucca's first, for a long time, dreamless sleep.

"What could you possibly need me to decide on that you couldn't handle?" Pucca demanded but half-heartily. Seeing her friend so fired up was beginning to get Pucca excited, but she was eyeing the warm quilt that was held out an arms length away from her.

"The music," Ching said slyly. That got Pucca up. She jumped to her feet, grabbed Ching's hands then began to dance around the room spinning till they both wanted to be sick. Pucca let go and they both stumbled to end up on the floor. Grinning ear to ear Pucca quickly got dressed out of her bedclothes. As she dressed she looked over her room. Posters of Garu hung above her bed along with decorating the walls. I need to sort that out, Pucca thought off handily as she dashed out to meet Ching in the living room. Pucca's uncles were already at the restaurant. No wonder Ching got in so easily, Pucca smirked.

"What have you got so far?" Pucca asked as she made herself and Ching a cup of hot chocolate. Pucca felt like she'd need a kick start today. She handed over the mug and gestured for Ching to take a seat on the sofa with her. Ching wasted no time catching Pucca up. Pucca sipped at her own hot chocolate as she was drawn into the elaborate schemes and decisions her friend was explaining. "So, you've sorted out the decorations and the venue though you won't tell me where it's going to be. You've gotten me a gift and a 'lovely surprise' and again I don't know what it is. You have a collection of CD's I need to go through to pick the few beginning songs and then you will take over," Pucca raised a brow to see if she was right up to then. She received an enthusiastic nod before continuing, "You have invited the entire town, the food is sorted and you've gotten me a cake. So all I have to really do is pick my own outfit..." Pucca looked at Ching to see her smile begin to dim.

"Uh-huh." Realisation entered her eyes and she glanced sheepishly away. "Sorry, there was no need to get you up." A cushion flew at Ching's head, connecting with a small thud. Astonished Ching gripped the pillow and glared at Pucca who was laughing hysterically. "Hey! I said I was sorry," she threw the pillow back but Pucca just knocked it aside. Pucca had finished her hot chocolate and had placed the cup on the coffee table besides the sofa.

"Though I'd love to see you squirm and apologise another couple of times, we have work to do." Pucca pulled Ching to her feet and began to drag her to the door.

Laughing Ching managed a single question, "What work?" Pucca looked back with exaggerated shock.

"Shopping, of cause," Pucca's attempt at an American accent sent Ching into a second round of laughter and she could barely keep herself from falling out of the door she got dragged through.

...

Garu bounded through the training field with more energy than normal. He threw one kunai so hard that it had went through the wooden figure as if it were butter and was lodged so thoroughly he had trouble yanking it out. Abyo watched his best friend with curiosity and calculation. He could tell something was bothering Garu but couldn't seem to bring it up casually. Once Garu had finished his exercises Abyo called him over and passed him a can. Ninja's had a high tolerance to alcohol, yet because it took a heck of a lot to even make a well trained ninja tipsy, it had became a habit that just seemed to apply to most male ninja's. Drinking beer and having a 'heart to heart'. Abyo shook his head at the expressions women come out with. How can a heart talk to another heart?

Silence stretched out until Abyo couldn't take it any longer.

"What's eating at you Garu?"

His tone made Garu raise a brow. "What are you on about?"

Abyo shot him a look, "You know exactly what I'm on about. The second dummy even seemed afraid at your mood today. What's gotten you onto such a mood?" Direct, that was Abyo. Garu looked over at him, wondering what really was bugging him. His dream obviously, but something more than that. Something to do with Pucca. But how was he meant to explain what was going on in his muddled head when he didn't understand it himself?

Garu decided to try and change the subject, and the only other thing that Abyo really liked to talk about aside from him and strategies was his girl. "Nothing's wrong. Speaking of which, how are you and Ching? Still going strong?" Garu felt a rising feel of triumph as he saw the familiar boasting look seep into Abyo's features. Here we go, Garu thought exhausted but glad.

While Abyo talked about how the spot Garu had found years ago, where he first learned how to achieve ultimate meditation skills, had gone over great with Ching. She loved it and Abyo thanked Garu again for showing it to him. Garu thought back to the time when he thought he should have brought Pucca with him. She would have loved it, loved the sounds, the smell of the ocean and moss, the sun setting casing a beautiful rainbow of colours on the clear sapphire blue water.

"-anyway, Ching has finally gotten Pucca's party ready. She even-"

"What?" Garu interrupted, thinking he had misheard Abyo.

"What?" Abyo echoed, bewildered why Garu had interrupted.

"What did you just say?" Garu extended his question but he couldn't help sounding as impatient as he felt.

"Pucca's party? Oh, Ching's got it all sorted, and now I don't have to listen to her drown on about-"

"It's Pucca's birthday?"

"Yeah, tomorrow. Hang on, I thought you already knew. I mean you listen in on everything about her." Abyo, though at times clueless as an animal, was beginning to understand that Ching's suspicions were pretty accurate. That girl's tendency to be correct scares me sometimes, Abyo thought as he regarded his friend.

Garu's mind was spinning on over time, trying to locate a time when Pucca or anyone had mentioned her birthday. She was going to be eighteen if his calculations were correct. He couldn't believe that she had never mentioned it, or that he didn't even know it. Why hadn't she mentioned it? Garu ignored the question bugging his mind and focused his attention on the fact that he had no gift. "Where's it going to be held?"

Abyo shrugged, "Ching wanted it to be a surprise for everyone. The less people know the more chance Pucca will be kept in the dark to the right moment.

That's what she told me anyway." Garu drowned the rest of his can before throwing it in the bin as he rushed off towards the Market. "Garu!" Abyo called after him.

"See you later," Garu called back. He knew what he should get her; he just hoped she would accept it. She was being weirdly distant and he wasn't sure that he liked it.

...

"Come on, this one next!" Pucca called gleefully to Ching who was dragging her feet from exhaustion. They had been in three-quarters of the villages' shops and three times they had made trips from one side of the village to the other because Pucca had changed her mind. Ching walked in after her friend to see her already dancing towards the changing rooms with a bundle of felt clutched in one hand. Ching had gotten her own outfit an hour ago so when she spotted a chair in the corner next to the changing rooms she sunk into it gratefully, sighing with relief as she began to get feeling back in he feet. Moments later Pucca came spinning out of the closed curtain in a bright pink fluttering dress. It was gorgeous on her, just like the last seventy she had tried on and Ching told her as much. Pucca looked at Ching doubtfully then regarded herself in the mirror again.

A loud obnoxious snigger echoed in the little store. Pucca visibly tensed at the noise where as Ching had sat up, an unconscious hand playing with the hilt of her sword she had strapped to her waist. A young woman, with a smidge too much make-up and a little too much skin showing in her small revealing tank-top, that barely covered her large chest are, and tight denim shorts that Ching was pretty sure were actually called 'hot pants' and not 'shorts', pranced around to look over Pucca and Ching as if they were just stains of dirt in her way. The woman's blue hair was pulled up and shaped on an almost heart shape at the crown of her head, but half was left down to form soft spirals around her shoulders. Over the years she had adapted her style so it continued to match her looks as she matured. She looked down her button nose at Pucca, taking in the sight of her floaty pink gown. She glared at Pucca as if even the sight of Pucca offended her.

"My, my, don't we look a pretty picture. Where are you going? A shabby hotel venue is only good enough for your usual style," the blue haired girl drawled in a venomous tone. Pucca's face scrunched for a moment before smoothing out to become as perfectly expressionless as a china doll.

"That may very well be but I have it on good authority that I will be having my party at more stylish venue, but thank you for your concern on my part. It's very sweet of you Ring-ring," sarcasm was practically dripping from Pucca's lips with every word that past them. Ring-ring looked as if she would burst into her autistic siren mode, her face beginning to posses the red spiked markings, but she regained her composure with more than a little effort.

"No matter what you wear Pucca He'll never be yours." Her voice was clipped in annoyance at Pucca's lack of reaction. Pucca stiffened and shifted her heavy gaze from Ching to Ring-ring. Ring-ring's eyes dilated with the weight of Pucca's cold glare but her stubborn side refused to give in. "You could be prancing around in only your underwear and he wouldn't look twice." Her words hurt and she knew it. She had observed Pucca and Garu's recent conversations and had nipped the apple in the bud, sota speak. Pucca stayed perfectly composed but her insides were flipping at the idea that Garu would never be interested in her. She knew that he hadn't the slightest interest in her, even during all the years she had spent chasing after him hoping the more she loved him the more chance he would reciprocate her feelings, but having her fears said allowed just made them that much more true.

"Even so, I wouldn't have to be in my underwear to gain attention as I am not that desperate." Though she didn't say it out loud her deliberate words had struck Ring-ring personally. Glaring as if she had the power to make those she hated with enough force to instantly combust she stormed out of the shop. The mischievous glint that Pucca had seen in Ring-ring's eyes had left her feeling unnerved. Ching, the amazing friend she was, cheered up Pucca and changed the subject when she noticed Pucca's deliberate choice of words. Soon after Pucca was back to her happy energised self and Ching watched her friend with relief but worry still nagged at her insides.

...

Garu bounded over the roofs of the villages till he came to the centre of the town. Landing softly he marched into the antiques that had been newly opened only a few months ago. When Pucca still chased him with a hidden flame in her eyes that always ignited when she saw him-

Stop it, he thought sternly. He curiously wondered around the store admiring the amazing pieces of art. He remembered back to when Pucca had pulled him across to study on of the many pieces of art that she had once seen as a kid. She had loved the many colours it shone when the sunlight hit its glass surfaces'. She had went on about how she had thought that inside the delegate but proud curves of the shaped glass had been blessed with a tear of a fallen angel. A tear that didn't contain bitterness as some angels had held in their heart but of joy. She had specifically loved one piece in particular. It was of a bird taking flight, its winds outstretched in a graceful position. There were only a few in existences she had once explained sadly, mostly talking to herself than him. The store manager popes his head up to Garu's shoulder making Garu jump.

"May I help you young man?" the wearily old guy asked politely.

"Yes, I'm looking for one piece in particular. It's the..." Garu paused raking in his head for the tile. "The bitter sweet goodbye." The old mans eyes sprung to life at the mention of such a rare antique. Ah, what wonderful piece it was."

"Past tense?"

"Ah, yes. I'm afraid to say that that piece is long gone. But I have many others just as fine arts here. It's for a young lady, if I'm too bold to ask?" Garu sadly nodded as he looked over the other pieces. He didn't see anything that screamed to him like the one Pucca had her heart set on. "Well please have a good look 'round. I'm sure you'll find something fitting enough for your young lady." Garu didn't correct him when he referees to Pucca as his 'young lady'. Garu was even surprised to find some pleasure in the concept.

"I'm sorry, but there isn't anything ideal here. Good day sir," Garu politely replied, edging himself towards the door.

"Wait! Young man!" Garu turned to the Elder again questioningly.

"Yes sir?"

"Do you really wish to give his lady a special gift?" Garu nodded not seeing where this was going. "Though I don't have the object that you desire I do have the tools in which it was made. If you have the time you could make your own." Garu's eyes lit up, not noticing that his excitement was over the fact that he could now not only give Pucca a special gift but also a meaningful one that will forever be more attached to him. The Elder smile at Garu's reaction causing Garu to quickly compose himself, but a tiny smile still tugged at his features.

"When can we start?"

...

Pucca finally decided on a mid-calf long scarlet red dress, with a stunning design of beads that made it look twice and much as Pucca had paid. It was one shouldered, though it left the top part of her left arm open, material hung down and wrapped around her elbow and again around her wrist. Pleased with her findings she chatted to Ching excitedly as they walked slowly through the streets towards Pucca's home, Ching's house not too far from it. They went their separate ways with quick hugs and fair-wells. Pucca quickened her pace now that she was alone. She had a increasingly steady feeling of dread that she was being watched.

A rustle made her jump but she slammed her hand over her mouth to stop the scream in her throat from escaping. She edges forward to peer last the bushes to see a surprising sight.

Garu, unmistakeable even with his back to Pucca, was talking in hushed tones with someone else. Pucca couldn't see who it was till the other figure traced a slow hand up Garu's arm. He didn't react, only kept talking in the same hushed voice. The hand came to stop over the right side of his hard slim chest. Jealousy raised in Pucca's throat replacing the earlier fear that had situated there. Why was she reacting like this? She was the one who had decided to stop the games between herself and Garu and they had. So why was she still standing there watching something that shouldn't be affecting her?

A high pitch giggle made Pucca's stomach lurch. She knew that irritating squeal-

The figure in front of Garu made a deliberate step forward which he mirrored by stepping away. The moonlight placed detail on the figure making it recognisable but Pucca didn't need to see her. Ring-ring. What did she think she was doing? She held a small bag in her hand and she was swinging it in a repetitive motion. Ring-ring's eyes were focused on Garu and she spoke with quick snipped words. Pucca leaned forward in an attempt to hear.

"Oh, come one Garu. I know you want me... What's this...?... Prove it!" she demanded, placing her free hand over his heart but continued to swing the bag. Pucca could see her tracing circles around his nipple area and that she was sticking out her womanly aspects the best she could. Pucca stared at Garu's back wishing she could see his expression. Did he like it? He wasn't pulling away, that's for sure. Did he really not have any feelings towards her? Pucca had trouble swallowing as if she had thousands of glass pieces lodged in her throat that refused to move.

Garu moved then. He gripped Ring-rings slender arms in a grasp that made his knuckles white but Ring-ring didn't seem to mind. She was too busy staring at the full innocent lips closing the space between them.

Pucca's heart skidded to a halt and the world seemed to blur out. She stood transfixed as she watched Ring-ring melt into what Pucca could only guess was the most sensual kiss possible. She had slid a hand up to grip the back of his neck forcing him to lengthen their kiss, moaning into what was once an innocent area. Pucca felt as if her origins were beginning to fail as her heart still refused to beat as it watches it's only reason to even beat being torn away ruthlessly.

...

A strange chocking noise whispered into Garu's ear. It had came from behind him. He eventually tore his lips from Ring-rig's rough pair to turn to see nothing but a rustling bush. Must have been a scared animal. He turned his attention back to the girl he had just allowed to take his first real kiss. Disappointment flooded through him. He roughly pushed her away, his face stormy. Ring-ring dazed by the intensity of the kiss stared at him astonished by his hard rejection.

She gave him a ruthless grin before handing over his plastic bag she had taken from him. His face displaying all of the stages of a hurricane he stormed past her, his annoyance radiating off him at such a magnitude that Ring-ring took a hasty step back to avoid contact with the enraged ninja.

"See you later sweetie," Ring-ring called after him as he stalked home into the dark silent night. He didn't dignify her comment with an answer.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: What a bitch! v.v<strong>

**Ring-ring: Excuse me? You're the one who wrote that!**

**Me: I had to write you in character so... *Shrug* And just remember I can just as easily write you _out_ of this story so keep it shut.**

**Ring-ring: ...**

**Me: Good. Read on to see what happens to Pucca!**

**Ring-ring: *Sigh*... Moron.**

**Me: *Glares*****:D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 ^_^**

**Pucca: I don't like this chapter T_T**

**Me: I know, but you'll like the end ;)**

**Pucca: \(O_O)/ what?**

**Me: :D**

**Garu: ... Now I'm worried...**

**Me: -_-..**

* * *

><p>Pucca ran blindly. She ran hoping that when she finally collapsed she would drift into nothingness. No pain. No love. No hatred. She didn't notice the weird absence of forest animals or that she had ran deep into the forest father from the village than what was wise. She didn't care. She figured the further away from the situation she was the more clear her head would become. It wasn't working. In desperation she even turned a blind eye to the fact that her internal instincts were going berserk, urging her to high-tail it home faster than she had ran from it.<p>

How could he do it? How could he kiss her of all people? Didn't he even notice that she had stopped chasing him? Was he relishing in the peaceful space she was giving him? She didn't have a single answer for any of them. Questions smothered her head dulling her reactions. She would wonder later if that was why when she was knocked off her feet that she hadn't reacted like she would have if she had been in the right sort of state of mind.

Pucca was launched into the air, her animalistic instincts only barely saving her from hitting the ground with brutal force. She landed on the balls of her feet, awkwardly rolling forward to make the floor and her back absorb the impact. Pucca managed to gain her feet, a little winded from the sudden action, when she was rushed at again but this time she was able to hook her left leg to the side catching her attacker in the ribs.

Unfortunately, her attacker wasn't alone. Once again, later she would argue that if the attacker was alone she would have been able to take him. Even in her unstable mental condition. That is if she even lived long enough. Four others ran at her from her right hand side while two came at her from behind. She right hooked the smaller one that came at her right, catching their chin with a satisfying crack. They went flying back knocking two others back as well. Pucca kicked back to connect with another's knee, snapping it with a quick down thrust. A scream echoed in her ears as she saw the figure of the one she kicked stumble to the floor clutching their leg protectively.

A shout, commanding for Pucca to be ceased and restrained, boomed from a distance. Pucca recognised the voice but couldn't place it to a face or name in her jumbled mind. Strong hands gripped Pucca causing her to panic. Frantically she tugged at the hands and kicked back hoping to make contact with anything. Cold fingers clumsily attached something to Pucca's wrists, which proved difficult with Pucca's thrashing form. Handcuffs, Pucca guessed with her still slightly functional part of her brain. Her attackers began to bicker, expressing their frustration with Pucca by barking at each other. Pucca finally spoke as she felt her muscles begin to complain with the rough abuse she was putting them through.

"Let me go! Why are you doing this? Who are you?" she shouted in anger. Her helplessness wasn't helping her rising stress level. Moonlight was streaming through the trees giving Pucca an opportunity to see the identity of her attackers. Well, identity wouldn't exactly be the right term. Her attackers were dressed in the common Ninja gear though in a navvy blue colour, but their faces' were hidden by masks that only showed their gleaming eyes. The only marking to identify them with was their graduation headbands that labelled them to a certain village or clan which was decorated with just three crosses. Pucca recognised that signature headband. "Tobe!" she growled demanding that he showed his pathetic form to her.

Silently, a tall man walked towards her. Strolling without a care in the world. His only defining feature was his eyes, as the rest of his body was covered head to toe in gear, and his signature scar shaped like a cross that situated itself between his eyes. Though Pucca couldn't see the rest of his face the crinkling by his eyes and the light excited look that glinted in them told her that he was beaming in triumph. "Ah, Pucca. What a lovely clear night it is, don't you agree?" He was taunting her but she wasn't in the mood to play mind games.

"What do you want Tobe? I posses nothing of value which you should know by now," cold steal was obvious in Pucca's tone, and even in her mentally exhausted state it still had it's desired affect if the shiftiness of the Ninja minions', that had evidentially pushed her to her knee's after the handcuffs had been eventually fixed into place, was anything to go by.

"You know exactly what I want," Tobe's words could have been an erotic statement but the way he played at his words, enjoying the knowledge he possessed that I did not and the hidden contempt, said otherwise.

"Nope, I haven't the slightest clue." To hell with mind games, if he wanted to play I'm going to give his weak brain cells a good work out, Pucca thought darkly.  
>Tobe gave her a long look before stating the obvious answer, "Vengeance." Pucca made an exaggerated 'Ah' expression which caused her to receive a dark glare.<p>

"I still don't get why you want it in the first place! What did he possibly do to you that you'd chase him for years on end?" Pucca cried in frustration. Her handcuffs were a little too tight, and with her secret attempts to free her hands, were biting into her hands close to causing blood but she daren't ask for them to be loosened. Tobe's expression seemed to say 'You tell me' but he composed himself quickly.

"That is between him and me."

"Then why the heck bring me into it?" Pucca glared at the unwilling Tobe. If she was being dragged into their conflict again she at least deserved to know why they were fighting anyway, but obviously Tobe thought differently.

"Why you're the bate! I will use you to lure Garu into conditions I have specially arranged." Even the sound of his name made Pucca flinch. How could he? She blinked up to see that Tobe had stepped closer and was narrowing his eyes.

"Then if your plan was to use someone close to Garu then I suggest Ring-ring as I am not part of Garu's immediate life." Pucca was proud that her words were spoken solidly and her voice didn't waver unlike her insides that were rotting away. Every time she thought back to that moment where Garu's lips met Ring-ring's a pang echoed in her bones. Tobe laughed until he noticed Pucca's serious expression.

"Is that so... And that hurts you, correct?"

"Who he dates is none of my business. Making your squabbles also none of my business so you might as well let me go."

"If I let you go you'd go running to Garu. I can't allow that."

Huffing, Pucca tried to point of the floras in his plan, "Then how do you expect to inform him that I've been kidnapped?"

"Very good question," Tobe grinned as if praising a pupil for getting a correct answer on a hard test. "After you are reported missing one of my ninja's will slip in and leave a note on your bed which your uncles will find and take to Garu. He will then come running to the rescue to save his ex-girlfriend and to receive honour but what awaits him isn't what he expects." Pucca was about to ask another line of questions but Tobe jerked his head towards her and her world began to blurt and go dark. She was laying on her side staring up at the blurred Ninja. Tobe bent to whisper a heart felt promise. "When you awaken you'll wish that you had died peacefully. Your hero will come, be reassured. But he will not leave..."

Everything went dark.

...

Garu woke with a start. He couldn't remember his dream to his relief but he had a feeling that it was important. Shaking off the rueful feeling Garu rose with unconscious grace and stalked over to make himself some tea. He rarely had a chance to try exotic new types of... Well anything. He sipped at the milky toffee liquid, satisfied at the warmth that it produced as it slipped down his throat. It tasted of mint and sure enough the packaging read 'Fresh Caribbean Summers, now with a hint of mint!" Catchy, Garu thought dryly.

Now he was conscious his memory of last night came flooding back. Ring-ring. Anger flared up in Garu as he thought of how he was manipulated into giving his first real kiss to someone like Ring-ring. It should have been given to... His thoughts stopped. To who? He asked himself only gaining silence as a reply. Garu glanced into the bedroom he had just slept into see the neatly wrapped present placed carefully onto a counter near his mattress. He was determined that nothing would stop him from giving Pucca his personal gift and see her reaction. He could already imagine her reaction. He could see her eyes fill up with unexpressed emotions, like the type she had been hiding from him the past two days, her beautiful smile rising like the sun to beam just as bright. Garu drained the rest of his tea before washing the cup and getting dressed. His usual black gear was pulled onto his lean figure, the eye catching red heart settling in the centre of his being. The heart always had raised a brow from the people he met. No Ninja ever wore such eye catching clothing but Garu had figured that it would test his skills of stealth if he also had to be wary of the bright colour he supported on his chest.

Garu walked out of his home; hearing his alarm system turning on as he walked towards the town. A soft meow caused Garu to turn back towards the house with a grin on his face. His loyal cat Mio prances towards him, reaching him to rub against his master's leg affectionately. Garu bent to scratch Mio's ear who responded with a low purr. When Garu stopped and began walking to town again Mio took the opportunity to pounce at Garu's back, climbing up to make himself comfortable on Garu's head.

The closer Garu got to Sooga Village the more he became awe of the waves of negativity and distress that was radiating from its villagers. Garu picked up his pace, noting the rise of voices as he closed in on the compact area. People were rushing around, more than normal, as they chatted excitedly. A few people he recognised were talking among themselves but they didn't sound excited as the rest of the village, they sounded distorted. Garu slid up to end up besides Santa and Abyo. They were watching a disheartened Ching clutch to her chest as she cries her what seemed to be an eye witness account. She was stuttering over a story of her events of yesterday. She finished by saying that she had went home and split off with... Pucca? Mio pounced off Garu's head and ran off to god knows where, but Garu barely noticed as he stood absorbing the information being transferred to one another in front of him.

"And you haven't heard from her or seen her since?" Officer Bruce pressured. He'd been woken by a loud voice at his door urging him to get up. It had turned out to be his son Abyo babbling that Ching had called saying that Pucca's uncles were hysterical as she hadn't returned home that night.  
>Ching shook her head so much her vision blurred, "Not since last night. She was perfect-" she hiccupped. "Perfectly happy when we departed." Abyo hated to see Ching cry and cling to herself for comfort as she sat on the lone chair being stared down at, but he couldn't interrupt his father's investigation no matter how much he wanted to.<p>

"It's okay Ching; we'll find her, over." Bruce's habit broke Garu from his frozen form. Pucca was missing. Gone. Garu felt suddenly cold as he thought back to his dream.

Garu jumped in front of Bruce as he tried to walk towards a different witness. "How long has Pucca been missing?" Bruce hid his surprise at the intensity of Garu's question. Bruce misinterpreted Garu and put it down to the fact that Garu had always jumped into situations where he could not only help others but gain his honour.

"We're guessing since 8:15 last night."

Garu nodded, the gears in his head whirling at incredible speeds. He hadn't seen her, had he? He was sure he hadn't seen her the entire day... What about the rustling in the bush? His mind whispered, taunting him and his cluelessness. Could she have seen what he and Ring-ring had done? If she did she wouldn't have understood. But if she had what would she have done? He was stumped. He may have noticed her every move and every word but she was the only one he couldn't plan for. The only one who kept him on his toes and surprised him at every turn. He couldn't guess what she would have done, but he knew one person who could yet hesitated thinking over that he'd have to explain the whole situation, unwanted kiss and all.

Reminding him of the horrific dream that for all he knew could be happening right now. He swallowed and walked over to where Ching was squeezing Abyo's middle cutting off his circulation but Abyo didn't object as he murmured reassuring nothingness into her hair. Garu cleared his throat, feeling like he had intruded in their private bubble. Ching glanced up, her make-up running but as she hardly wore any because of her ninja training usually smudged it anyway. She blinked, clearing her eyes of unshed tears, allowing them to fall down her pale smooth cheeks.

"She's gone." She sounded as lost as a little girl. That wasn't the Ching he knew and admired.

"We'll find her. She won't be far." Garu was curt with his words, hoping that they would slice through the newly crushed Ching to greet her old self who always took on a challenge no matter how difficult. Ching's eyes flashed and something seemed to grow in them. There's my Ching, Abyo smiled down at her his own eyes lighting with determination.

"Yeah, we'll find her and bring her back." Abyo stood pulling Ching up with him. "We'll find her, if my name isn't Abyo the greatest!" he cried tearing his black combat shirt in half. The familiar gesture gained him a small smile from Ching. Abyo looked over at Garu expectantly. "What's the plan?"

Garu looked pained, which was anything but himself, Abyo pondered. "What is it?" Ching snapped, having noticed, along with Abyo, Garu's odd behaviour.  
>He glanced around before walking towards one of the small tea shops that was pretty much abandoned because of the havoc. Abyo and Ching followed suit, annoyed with Garu's silence. They seated themselves, ordered then sat forward waiting for Garu to form his words in his head. Ching fidgeted impatiently. Her best friend was missing and Garu was taking his sweet bloody time to come up with a few sentences.<p>

"Spit it out!" she growled, surprised at her own outburst but dismissed it. She wanted to go find her friend and if Garu was withholding information, god help him, Ching thought.

"I think I know why Pucca has disappeared..." he started capturing his companion's attentions immediately.

"What?" Abyo asked before Ching had the chance.

Garu reluctantly launched into his story grimacing at his own tail. His company sat transfixed as they absorbed his words. Be safe Pucca, Garu's mind whispered.

...

Pain.

Pain was rushing through Pucca's body, making her veins burn in agony. Pucca tried to move but her muscles screamed in protests as it tried to co-operate with little success. Pucca pealed open her eyes, pupils dilating to take in the dark room. Pucca was staring at the floor and it took everything in her to drag her head up without crying out in pain. Her head spun as it moved, and she guessed that she'd been in her position for quiet some time. She squinted as a figure stepped into her lime light. She focused on the face that was peering down on her with a sneer. Tobe. He'd followed through with his statement, Pucca thought wearily as she recalled Tobe's last words before she had blacked out. I was hit from behind with something metal, Pucca realised. No wonder her head was pounding repeatedly, matching its pace with her heart that was fluttering like humming birds wings.

Pucca tried to glare at her captor but her face didn't seem to have enough working muscles left. Her lips, torn and bloody, slowly opened as if to speak but her raspy throat denied her the gratification of speech. Tobe grinned with glee to see her struggling with her natural responses that were refusing to oblige.

"You've been out some time, Pucca. I was beginning to worry that I had killed you by mistake already. I must say you look delightful, my boys had a great time fixing your body." He really did look delighted at the sight of her. "Now that we're alone Pucca I'd like to say that you have grown into a beauty to behold. I must say I'm envious of Garu... Oh wait, Garu doesn't have you. He didn't want you. Foolish boy. Such fresh ripe fruit in front of him and he denied it." He was taunting her and she hated herself for responding with a silent tear that ran from the corner of her eye to her chin where it dripped onto her cold skin. She dropped her head so Tobe didn't have the pleasure of seeing her private emotions.

She saw that her once favourite dress shredded to ribbons, barely covering her intermit area's, to her dismay blood clung to her skin as if creating another layer. Her legs were torn to the bone that looked deathly white compared to the blood that seeped from her wounds. She tugged at her arms that screeched in anguish. Her hands were bound behind her by rope as it burned her skin with every tug. Her back was against a large wooden pole that her arms were wrapped around. Her legs were free but from the sight of them they were useless for the time being. She was stuck at the mercy of the heartless ninja before her. She remembered how when she was younger Tobe's plans had been elaborate and always destined to fail. He would be cast off from Sooga Village with bumps and bruises. He'd never gone this far or succeeded with his plans this far. Apparently his cunning had grown along with his body that had filled out to be more than a little 'ripped' as Abyo would have put it. Longing rushed through Pucca. She wanted to see Ching, smiling and cheerful. She wanted to be with her friends again only having to deal with the heart ache as she tore herself from Garu.

Garu. The reason she was here being slowly tortured and taunted by a disturbed male. She tried to hate him for it. To wish that he was here instead of her but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She loved him and she was scared that she always would. Maybe dying here wouldn't be such a bad thing. Her friends would move on, Garu would be free from her obsessions which he seemed to be relishing in already. She only felt regret at leaving her uncles behind, who had taken her in when she had arrived cold and wet at their door step hoping for refuge, and her loyal cat Yani. She pondered at her whereabouts. Yani always seemed to wonder off for a few nights before returning in a better mood than she had left. Maybe she was hunting during those nights.

Tobe stood quietly watching Pucca as she reviewed her life and regrets with interest. But his patience was growing short and now she was awake the real fun can begin. He stepped forward, but even the slow pace he had taken made Pucca jump and refocus her large eyes on him. She watched as he reached behind her to what she assumed was a table to retrieve a long knife that winked at her wickedly. She gulped at the sight of the long sharp edge but was determined to keep her face as close to expressionless as possible. I won't cry, she thought sternly but the blade flashed again dimming her resolve.  
>Tobe bend to his knee's levelling his eyes on Pucca making sure he had her full attention. He flashed a grin as he lowered his gaze on her blood smothered form. He drew the blade cautiously across the inside of Pucca's left thigh. Blood oozed out onto the blade only making its shiny surface even more deadly looking than before. The blade had tasted her blood and it wanted more. A lot more.<p>

It could have been minuets or it could have been months, but every passing second another round of painful shocks defused into Pucca's body. Make it stop, she prayed to none in particular. She didn't care who as long as they helped her she would be happy. Happiness seemed like such a long time ago. It only felt like a meaningless word to Pucca now, as if she hadn't had first hand experience only hours before she had spotted Garu and-  
>Stop it! She cried silently. She was torturing herself and she was getting enough of that from Tobe. Tobe had moved onto her breasts as he carved designs into her skin, careful to hit all the most sensitive nerves that ran along inside them. She held back a scream as Tobe pressed his blade against her collar bone and pushed. Hard. A loud crack echoed in the large room. She held in the wail that crept up her throat but her entire body was vibrating at the force of her restraint.<p>

A whimper escaped before she could clamp down on the pathetic sound. She got another cruel smirk from Tobe as he soaked in her pain, relishing in the fact that he had such power over another. Not just another, but someone who was attached to his enemy Garu.  
>And that's how it went on until hours later. When Pucca was close to begging for Tobe to stop one of his minions strolled through asking for a minuet of Tobe's time. Tone sighed like a child who got told to stop playing on their favourite game, as he set down his torture weapon to meet his minion by the door. Because of the echo ability of the room Pucca could hear their conversation clearly.<p>

"The note was delivered. They should find it soon." The ninja sounded tired but glad to be the one telling his master of their mission's success.

"Good. I have business to attend to. Make sure she doesn't escape." Pucca would sneer at the idea of Tobe's other 'business'. The other ninja looked over at Pucca's slumped figure.

"Sir, she looks in no position to esca-" the ninja began. Before Pucca could blink the messenger was slumped on the floor opposite her. The messenger looked up at his master in dazed confusion.

"Do not second guess my orders, Fredrik. You are to follow my commands, understand?" The ninja, Fredrik, nodded. "Be sure not to forget your place again."

And with that Tobe was gone, leaving Pucca with a angry rebellious Fredrik. He must be new to Tobe's recruits, Pucca thought as she looked sheepishly over at him. She hoped he'd simmer down instead of turning his anger on the closest thing possible. This would be her as it so happened. Time past and Pucca decided that Fredrik must have calmed to a steady level by now. "What time is it?" she asked quietly. She received a glare as he snapped.

"Prisoners aren't allowed to talk."

"Tobe didn't say you couldn't talk to me," Pucca said soothingly, as if talking to a startled wild animal.

Fredrik seemed to mull that over for so long Pucca thought he'd never answer. "It's 5:27." Pucca jerked up to stare at her watcher.

"At night?"

"Of cause," Fredrik spoke as if Pucca was asking a ridiculous question. He clearly didn't know how long she'd been there. She nodded so he knew she understood and wasn't ignoring him. Silence stretched out endlessly.

"You don't have to take his abuse you know," Pucca spoke without thinking. Fredrik tensed.

"Be quiet," he snapped.

"Why should I?" Pucca foolishly challenged. She was in no position to say such foolish things in her helpless bound state, wounded to what she reckoned was beyond repair, and in the middle of god knows where. Fredrik sprang to his feet anger returning to his eyes. Great, Pucca thought exhausted. Well she started this, might as well go for the whole Sha-bang. "If you had enough courage you'd stand up to him and show Him that your position is a higher standard than he's given you."

"I said be quiet!" he growled menacingly but Pucca had already passed the line of caring. She was letting her mouth go and allow it to spew whatever it wanted.

"Why are you even working for a guy like Tobe anyway? I thought a respectable Ninja stayed loyal to their village and their people! They put down their lives for those they care about, not cowering behind a villain as their too afraid to take on such a big responsibility. Why duel against the people who you were sworn to fight when you could join their side and have a easier life that goes down the road of common thievery and murder-" Pucca was cut short on her rant that she had lost herself in by a hard slap that swung her head to the right. Fresh blood broke from healed wounds on her lips making her swallow her own copper blood. She had allowed her mouth to rave, allowed all her anger and pain to spew along side it.  
>Pucca turned her head back to face a panting Fredrik who was so close to her own face that she could smell his stale breath. "You better shut that pretty little mouth of yours or I'll find a better use for it." Cold promises lay beneath his words. Pucca wanted to stay quiet but she had let loose a force she couldn't regain control over.<p>

"Oh, so you wouldn't mind taking on a injured woman who's restrained against a wooden pole but taking on another trained ninja for the sake of your village was too beneath you?" she spat, half because she had blood coming from a cut inside her mouth where she had bit her cheek and the blood was filling her mouth quickly.

Fredrik raised his hand to strike Pucca again but at the sight of her unflinching expression he reached over to clutch her chin in his cold rough hand. A chilling smile crept onto Fredrik's face, though hidden by a mask, with his face so close Pucca could see the indents of his face and could tell the expression immediately. It had been Tobe's as he had watched her life's blood weep from her body.

Before Pucca could react Fredrik pulled down his mask revealing his features. Fredrik's lips forced themselves onto Pucca's bloody ones. Pucca screamed into his mouth as his tongue viciously attacked the inside of her mouth, sharing his revolting taste as he did. Pucca felt sick as Fredrik drew back, Pucca's blood smothered on his lips which he began to slowly lick off, his hand still painfully gripping her chin. "Playing with fire will get you burned, little girl," he dropped his voice to a whisper, but it terrified Pucca more than it would have if he had shouted it at her. Tobe had manipulated her body causing her agony beyond comprehension, but Fredrik seemed to have a whole different idea of torture. His groping hand, that he wasn't using to angle Pucca's face skywards, ended up at Pucca's chest that had barely any scraps of clothing to cover. Fredrik slowly peeled away the scraps that covered her bloody nipular area, enjoying the sight of Pucca clenching her teeth as her skin peeled away with it, dried blood flaking off onto her lap.

Pucca glared helplessly at him, begging him silently to stop. She could take more pain, just not this. Fredrik smiled sadistically, making Pucca's stomach clench as bile rose in her throat. He lowered his head to bite at the raw flesh of her breast making her gasp in pain. Oh no, please no, her thoughts pleaded. The hand holding her chin left leaving her helpless as she watched it slither like a poisonous serpent towards her inner thighs. She held her breath as she glared at the revolting body that was pressing up against her. She felt a bulge between Fredrik's own inner thighs and her hopes of being saved plummeted.  
>This was really going to happen, she thought in dismay. She was actually get raped before she died of blood loss. Pucca was faintly surprised she hadn't already passed on but her resistant stubborn attitude had seemed to help her pull through only to bring her into Fredrik's prodding clutches. She wanted to cry in desperation but she daren't. Pucca had heard stories of those poor women who were put through such traumatic situations, but she never thought she would join them.<p>

Hatred. Her only feeling towards Fredrik was pure animalistic hatred. She had felt sympathy for him being treated with such cruelty but now she prayed that Tobe would come back and finish him off. Yes, Pucca thought bitterly with her remaining fragments of reality, she wanted this man, who was doing unspeakable things to her, to be lying dead before her so she could spit on his decomposing disgusting body. Fredrik was enjoying the distressed noises that was being emitted form Pucca's empty form. He was grunting with his excitement and growing anticipation.

Pucca seemed to be watching him from afar, no connection to the devastating sight before her. It was just some poor young woman being forced ruthlessly into something she obviously doesn't want but her defenceless position left her vulnerable to the cruel despicable male's advances. But despite the horrific scene before her, that she was living, Pucca retracted herself into a small comer of her mind where she felt a small reassuring piece of comfort. Almost as if the angels she used to dream about were by her side lending her strength as they weren't allowed to fall to help anyone in need. But even their presence in her mind comforted Pucca to an extent that her crushed whimpers subsided. A sound of clothing bursting open worried Pucca, urging her to open her eyes that had shut when she had tried to find an escape from reality, but the reassuring voices that cooed made her resist. A dark chuckle whipped through Pucca violently as if it was physically a whip attacking her already raw skin.

Rough hands braced themselves against the woman, the male prolonging the blissful pleasure he was about to receive. And then... Nothing. A startled grunt and the pressure of the male removed it's self from the bewildered woman.

Pucca's eyes flew open to see Fredrik being pulled back viciously by a different Ninja. She dragged Fredrik to his feet, his pants around his ankles and his boxers around his knees, by his hair. Fredrik reddened as he was stopped from defiling Pucca in a way he had been hoping for. The new Ninja growled low in Fredrik's ear, and by his expression he knew and feared her, casting a dispassionate look down at Pucca. Fredrik nodded but his hair was being yanked again but towards what Pucca assumed was the exit. Her mind was dazed with all types of emotions hammering inside; she could barely remember what way Tobe had went to leave her with her molester.

Moments later, after Fredrik had been dragged out of the room, the female ninja was back casting a long look down at Pucca. Pucca had a thought nagging at her and she swallowed her fear to speak.

"What time is it?" Pucca had felt like she'd been awake for years on end.

She was regarded steadily, "11:52." So late, Pucca thought dreamily. What she'd give to just be untied and allowed to lie down and sleep for an eternity. Her rescuer left without another word, firmly closing the heavy wooden door behind her. The ninja had found Pucca's question odd, after all she and been through, but she had decided Pucca had deserved at least a single answer, even if it was to a simple question such as the time.

Finally left alone, which Pucca guessed was the first time since she was kidnapped, she let go. She let go of everything she was feeling, and to her surprise she still had tears to rid herself of. She cried for a long time.

Happy birthday Pucca, she thought bitterly.

* * *

><p><strong>Pucca: ...<strong>

**Me: Okay, not the end of _this_ chapter. But you'll liked the end...**

**Garu: *So angry flames danced in his eyes***

**Me: G-G-... Garu, easy. Easy boy. Don't worry, she'll be fine, I ain't that cruel... *Backs away* Garuuu? Ahhh! *Runs away quickly for life***

**Read the next chapter to see if Pucca survives!... If I live to write it! (/^_^)/**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4. :D**

* * *

><p>Mean while:<p>

Garu had finished his tail long ago but he sat silently allowing his companions to absorb the true weight of them.

"Dude," Abyo finally breathed. He couldn't believe what he had heard. Garu kissed Ring-ring and he thought Pucca saw. Garu looked at Abyo with a level stare.

"How could you do that to her?" cried Ching, anger eventually bubbling to the surface. She glared at the expressionless ninja.

Garu hadn't explained exactly why he had kissed Ring-ring as he wanted Pucca to hear first. He didn't want his friends to look at him with contempt but the more intense their emotions the more eager they would become to save Pucca. Though they still had no idea of where she would be. It was past midday and things were just picking up in the town, customers buzzing happily by without a care in the world.

"Why would you pick Ring-ring? Of all the people you could have kissed, why her?" Ching challenged, resolute that there was a reason.

Garu shrugged casually though his muscles were tense, "I wasn't thinking straight."

"Hell right you weren't," Ching retaliated, disregarding that she had sworn. Even Abyo was surprises at Ching's choice of words. "So what do you plan on doing?"

Garu was about to open his mouth and speak but he was interrupted by loud shouts outside the tea shop. Garu stood and was at the door in miller seconds, peering out to see Linguine and Ho dancing between the shoppers in a hurry, occasionally bashing into a passer-by. Linguine spotted Garu and frantically waved at him as if to gain his attention though it was already fixed on them as they hurried over. Ching and Abyo had gathered behind Garu, all three of them staring at the flushed chiefs.

"What's wrong?" Abyo started.

Ho passed over a small piece of paper that looked like it was dyed a deep red. "We found this in Pucca's room." He sounded like he hadn't slept and was on his last toes. Garu opened the paper to read over the words scrawled in a careless fashion. His gaze narrowed as he read, his anger boiling to the brim. Tobe. He was the one behind Pucca's kidnapping. Garu's gaze was drawn to the dark spots that soaked the ragged paper. His heart slowed to a snails pace as he realised what he was holding.

"The papers soaked in blood." His remark caused a collected intake of breath from those around him.

"Pucca...?" Linguine whispered, as if saying it too loud would make it real. Garu didn't look up but he heard another shuddering breath be taken as his silence was taken as a confirmation.

"But why would Tobe take Pucca?" Abyo obliviously spoke aloud his thoughts.

Pucca's uncles pondered along with Abyo but Ching stopped their theories short. "To get at Garu." Yes. To get at me, Garu thought. Pucca was taken to inflict a wound upon Garu. It was his fault she was gone, whether she had see his reluctant kiss or not. Tobe had made a massive mistake to imagine this would make Garu incapable to battle at full capacity. Garu was instead activating skills he didn't even know he possessed. He scanned over possible scenarios.

"Linguine, Ho. Trust me when I tell you I will bring your niece back to you." Garu stared at them intensely and they saw the blinding truth echoing in his eyes. They nodded before hurrying away towards the police satiation. Garu still clutched the blood stained note in his hand when he swerved to regard his friends as intensely as he had with Ho and Linguine.

"What are we going to do?" Abyo asked, noticing the hard set of Garu's shoulders suggesting that he had a plan and was dying to execute it. Garu smiled wickedly.

"We're going to meet our old friend Tobe. We even have V.I.P invitations." Ching began to grin with withheld violence. She couldn't wait to kick some pathetic Ninja butt's and save her best friend.

Abyo looked suspicious as he glazed at his friend, "But won't we be walking into a trap?" He was all for going head first into a battle, but the sight of his friend who was usually level headed standing on a single tread of sanity worried him, sobering his need of a fight.

"If we know Tobe, we will be." Short but full of promises of future brutal battles lay beneath Garu's confirmation. His burning eyes glanced down at the crusted paper balled up in his fist. I'm coming for you Pucca, stay strong for me.

...

Pucca hadn't realised she had dozed off when she was rudely awakened. She didn't realise that sleep was possible in the uncomfortable situation she was in. A soft meow brought a brilliant smile to Pucca's tired face as she squinted at the pink ball of bluff that was pouncing into the moonlight that was shining through the cracks on the wooden walls. Pucca didn't care that her much desired sleep was interrupted as she reared up at the sight of something familiar with her old life. Old life? Pucca didn't even notice that she had begun to separate her happy simple life as the past until she saw Yani.

Yani cautiously crept towards Pucca, testing if this bloody thing was indeed her owner. Pucca shifted, her natural instinct to reach out and pet behind Yani's ear reminded Pucca with a burning sensation that she was still restrained. "Y-" Pucca swallowed trying to lubricate her wind pipe and produce moisture for her dry mouth and shrivelled tongue. "Yani," she whispered, watching her cat's ears twitch at the familiar voice though scratchy and hollow. Yani stepped lightly onto Pucca's lap, avoiding any large wholes gorged out of the flesh, to reach up and lick at her crying masters blood stained cheek. "How did you find me girl?" Of cause she gained no answer, to her much relief. If she stared to hear Yani then she knew she had gone mad. "Is..." Is Garu coming? She was about to ask. Yani tilted her head as if she knew what the question was going to be.

With a last lick and sweet purr, Yani scampered into the darkness with a new objective. She had found her master, now to find some help. Pucca looked after her longingly, wishing that she could follow her pet into the infinite dark. "Good girl," Pucca whispered after her, filling the tranquil silence that had seeped back into the room after Yani's quick departure. Pucca vaguely thanked Yani for her visit, and tendency to wonder off into the woods at night, before she blacked out into a dreamless void.

...

Garu paced wishing he could just run out on search of Pucca but without some sort of direction his search would be a waste of time. Well, that was what the reasonable strategy part of his brain was arguing. That part was the only thing stopping him. That and the fact that he had no idea of what he was going to do, except kick Tobe's ass. But he had to have some sort of plan set out other wise his comrades would worry more than they already were.

Pucca.

Where the hell are you? Garu growled. Pucca was the strongest people he knew, how could she be kidnapped by the likes of Tobe? Garu had a feeling he had been mostly responsible for her capture but he couldn't let himself grieve, not when she was still out there alive. That's when Garu stopped pacing.

What if she was already dead?

He hadn't seen Tobe in over a year and a half now, but Garu had heard of the devastation Tobe was leaving in his wake as he travelled around, trying to master arts in order to defeat Garu. Garu had no idea how Tobe would be treating Pucca. If she was harmed he'd kill Tobe. He was shocked at his intense reaction to the mere idea of Pucca being harmed, but he argued that she was his friend and he'd feel the same with any of his friends in her situation. He rarely made friends and he was determined to keep those close to him safe. No matter what.

Garu began pacing again, annoyed at how long Abyo and Ching were taking to secure the items he had ordered them to acquire. Where were they? His pace quickened in his anticipation to get going grew.

A soft bundle of fur flung itself at Garu. Garu swung towards the assaulter only to catch a blob of pink fuzz. "Yani?"

The pink cat meowed up at him, purring as it snuggled into his chest as a greeting. It reminded him of Pucca nuzzling into his shoulder after she had tackled him to the floor. Weird how her cat had picked up the same traits as her. As soon as Yani had finished purring she fought her way out of Garu's hands to end up on the floor, paddling her way over to the door. Garu had returned home to collect more precise gear, and he had made the meeting point at the front of his house. He did live nearer to the outskirts of the Sooga Forest than the rest of them making it the logical choice. "What is it?" Garu asked Yani, knowing that Yani was alike in the strange aweness that Mio had when being instructed. Yani meowed again but it sounded fiercer. Yani pushed out of the door before popping her head back in to stare levelly at Garu. He sighed but walked out after her. He looked up at the dark night sky. So late already.

Yani walked knowingly, glancing back occasionally to make sure Garu was till trailing after her. Garu noticed Ching and Abyo bounding up the path to their assigned meeting place, waving them over but gesturing them to be quiet. "Yani?" Abyo addressed Garu questionably. We're following a cat? His eyes shone in amusement but not his usual kind.

"Pucca's Yani," Ching spoke as if it summarised why they were following the feline. But it did, as even Abyo nodded in agreement. If any of them could figure out where Pucca could have been taken it would be her sneaky but loyal fur ball.

They walked for minuets, trailing after Yani as she led them deep into the forbidden part of the forest beyond Sooga borders. Yani began to tread lightly and her followers copied as they guessed they were nearing the hideout. A large building lured into view and the group hid, leering from behind the bushes. The building was made from heavy oak wood it seemed, and judging from the poor light that the moon was shining upon the building, it was newly furnished but it's shabby woodman-ship made it seem unstable. It had one entrance that had a single guard slouching by it. Three other ninja's walked around the facility, controlling the perimeter, but Garu had to guess their were more ninja's laying in the wake. It was a possibility that they already knew the group was there bit they showed no telling signs which Abyo and Garu already knew told them nothing.

The roof of the wooden structure looked fragile, as if it was about to collapse at any given moment, but it seemed to be the best bet of entry. Yani made a hissing noise as she stared at the guard at the front door. Pucca was inside, Gaur was positive and it made him furious. She had been so close yet he had no idea. Garu gestured to his partners to quietly creep around the back. There was no entrance from behind and was carefully crafted so there was only one way inside. The group scaled the thin trees nearest the room making their leaps only minimal effort, but the roof creaked but so slightly it could have passed off as the building settling into its structure.

They moved quickly, Ching surveilling their surroundings, Abyo carefully pried off one of the tiles on the roof. He placed it into the shoulder bag that hung by his side containing weapons that was extreme to even his standards. He whipped his shirt off no matter the weather, but this? This was insane. A whole big enough for a male figure began to reveal itself, only covered by a thin layer of wood that would be easy to break through unfortunately it would make too much noise. Ching pulled out a few small tools to carve a hole into the roof cleanly which Abyo took gratefully as he was beginning to et agitated with the constantly shifting Garu. Abyo understood that Garu wanted to just barge in and raise hell but one wrong move could be the end of Pucca. If she was still alive, Abyo added silently but he never uttered his thought in worry that he'd upset his comrades.

Just as Abyo got to work and was gaining some headway on the wood a rustle interrupted his concentration. All three of them gained their feet, having knelt by Abyo as he worked to avoid being spotted and to observe the action around then assessing possible threats.

Whirling, Ching spotted five blurs rushing towards her rescue team. Ching just brought out one of the newly sharpened kunai's she has packed in her own smaller bag to clash with a large well build males. He shoved to unbalance her but she was best known for her stability and acute strikes. She thrusted her left leg out hitting the outside of the male's knee making him bend slightly towards her incoming fist. Her knuckles contacted with the ridged bone underneath, it giving under her precise attack. She slipped his kunai away from him and shoved him from the roof in one smooth motion, turning to another male's attack. She ducked easily but was caught in the gut by his up-thrusted knee. Winded she backed off, getting a glimpse of fast moving figures at her right. They moved so fast and with such grace she couldn't follow their every move like she could when she watched them train. They had never used their full skill against each other, she realised. Ching blocked another attempt at her abdomen.

While Ching was battling the unknown male ninja Abyo and Garu had pulled their own stunt to kill two birds with one stone. They locked hands and Garu yanked Abyo forwards and off his feet which he used to kick the two ninja's steaming ahead, knocking a third one off as they fell to the hard ground below.

They released each other as they took on individual's that stupidly came at them head on trying to overpower them with their increasing numbers. "Go!" yelled Ching as she elbowed a female in the ribs before swiftly slamming her right calf into the ninja's stomach making her double over. Garu glanced at her questionably as he decapitated another guy.

"What?" he grunted as he took a fist to his cheek. He returned the favour but twice as hard.

"Get going you idiot," Abyo injected as he kicked his own opponent away as he was ceased from behind. He jumped and placed his feet on the ninja's chest giving a sharp shove. He flew from the ninja's grip, spinning to land on his feet nimbly as he turned to finish off the ninja off. Garu, without waiting for another guy to attack him he dived for the human sized hole, slamming his feet through. He fell into the abyss of darkness, his goals set on one thing.

One girl.

...

Pucca was woken with a sharp tug at her messy black locks. She was growing tiresome of being woken up in such abrupt ways. She staggered as she tried to plant her feet but the world spun and her agony blinded her. Her bonds were cut but even with the new freedom she was given it didn't change the fact that she was still defenceless. Her pain-filled legs were swept from under her, she ended up against someone's chest as they carried her. She felt them tense before leaping into the air as if Pucca wasn't even there. She whimpered as they landed onto the floor again. She guessed it was the floor at first but when she heard a metallic echo she retracted her assumption. They were off the floor, how high was beyond her. She was placed down without care, and she slumped against a metal gratefully. She was about to drift off into restless sleep when she was ragged up like a doll. Metal chains were being tied around her body. There was someone holding her up from behind, but the one she saw with her squinted eyes tying her up was the female who had stopped Fredrik. Pucca's body jerk at the thought but her captors assumed it was from the cold metal being roughly tugged against her raw skin, which was only half the case.

Pucca finally forced her eyes open she saw they were attaching her to what looked like a small crane with a hook on the end which her rescuer was hooping the ends of the chain onto. Pucca looked at her body as if it was separate from her. Her hands were crushed to her sides and her legs linked together. She heard a loud buzzing noise in the still room. During their work the ninja's had stayed silent as of this was a common occurrence where they had to wrap a young girl in chains, but for all Pucca knew it might have been. The chains tightened as her body was hoisted onto the air. She was upright but felt as if she would fall forward and second. The chain began to vibrate as it moved into what Pucca assumed was the centre of the room. Was the chain still vibrating as she had seemed to stop moving or was it her. She wondered but was too dizzy to focus of anything for long.

Minuets past and Pucca began to wonder if Tobe was now going to drop her for where she hung suspended to the hard floor luring beneath her limp feet before drawing her back up to relive the 'fun' all over again. The more time passed the less likely the idea became but she didn't discard it. She didn't know how far Tobe would to continue to torture her. Why wasn't he done yet? Why hadn't he finished her off long ago before he had left her? Why wait? Garu obviously wasn't going to come as she had cut him from her life, as he had happily done with her, so why bother using her as bait? Why not Ring-ring? Pucca, though angry and hostile towards Ring-ring for what she had done, couldn't wish this upon her. Though Ring-ring acted tough Pucca was sure she couldn't withstand as much as Pucca had. This torture was bordering the lines of being inhumane and none should go through such pain. Ching and Abyo wouldn't come as they wouldn't know where to start and others would prevent them from trying, and rightly so, Pucca mused.

A muffled thud was detected by Pucca's scattered head. It came from the area in front of Pucca. Someone was on the roof. Scraping echoed in the room and she heard someone leave from inside the building. Curiously a noise of sawing replaced the noise that had corrupted the silent wall that smothered Pucca. What on earth? Foot steps now echoed off the roof. More people had joined but they didn't sound like they came to assist.  
>Feet scuffled across the roofs, a faint cry floated into Pucca's ears like someone was falling but had only realised it half way down. Pucca longed to see what was happening above her head.<p>

Suddenly a loud crack made Pucca jerk up to see a slim muscular figure fly through the hole, jet-black hair floating behind like a cape. Her avenging angel, Pucca couldn't help but think as the moonlight casted what looked like wings between the figures shoulder blades. Pucca was transfixed as her mind whispered the name her hopes had secretly been calling out for.

Garu.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: See Garu! You finally get your fight that you've been dying for.<strong>

**Garu: ...**

**Me: Don't be too happy.**

**Review please :) Or Garu will hunt you down and show his epic skills!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Garu's battle scene, Yey :)**

* * *

><p>Landing lightly Garu's senses rose to their peeks. He smelt stale blood; such an overpowering sent it almost sent him retching. His eyes dilated as he took in the large room. Blood splattered the floor by one of the wooden beams witch discarded blades and utensils scattered around it. Someone had been cut multiple times to create such a mess, Garu remarked with cold calculation.<br>Pucca.

Garu took a single step just as a light came blindingly to life. He swerved his head towards where he had heard the switch. He just saw the side of a ninja who was slouching against the far wall casually. In his hand a blade swung lightly into view pointing towards Garu. "You are late."

Garu had settled into a fighting stance when he had glimpsed the blade but the voice of its wielder made his back cramp up in anger. "Tobe." His own voice was full of murderous intensions. Tobe pushed up from his relaxed stance allowing himself to be engulfed by the striking pale light. The light swirled around its intruder, its dull light like that of a candle flame licked the man's distinguishable features. Garu absorbed the sight of Tobe, his height and his large muscles.

Tobe had grown to become a well developed man, Garu thought, but his minuets were numbered. "Where is she?"

Tobe also scanned Garu's lean physique, noting anything that could give him a edge. "Lovely to see you again Garu. You seemed to have aged well. How are your friends?" Tone mocked. He wanted to rattle Garu and he had already succeeded when he had first spoken.

"Where is she?" Garu couldn't seem to find any other words as he glared at his rival. He didn't want to banter with Tobe. He wanted to fight him. He wanted to watch his life leave his eyes and his body slump to the floor growing cold the second it connected.

"Who are you looking for? I hear you and what was that girls name... Ah, Ring-ring were an item now. I'm afraid to say I don't have her. Maybe someone else has your girl," Tobe spoke off handily. The mention of Ring-ring made Garu burn, his gaze intensifying. If he knows about Ring-ring then he had heard from Pucca, his mind reasoned.

"No, I'm not here for Ring-ring," Garu sneered as he imagined the pleasure he would get from peeling Tobe's pale skin from his face. I'll start with the cheeks, Garu decided. That way I can see his teeth gnash together as he cries out in agony.

"Then enlighten me," Tobe made a wide gesture as of he was on a game show.

"Where is Pucca?" Garu shouted suddenly, rage pouring from the molecules on his skin. His patience was wearing ice thin.

"Pucca? Oh, the girl who had given herself to you and you discarded? Hm, what a shame. She's such a..." He paused deliberately. "A delight to have around. On another note, do you like my knew chandelier? I just had it fixed into place just for your visit." Garu followed Tobe's eyes to the metal object dangling from the ceiling.

Tobe watched as Garu observed the thick metal. Garu's eyes got drawn to the dripping object that was strapped to the centre of it by a lot of chains.  
>Pucca! His mind sang with joy before he took in her gory condition. His emotions plummeted to leave immense rage. He soaked in her torn legs and revealing area's. Her hair had been rived out of her hair style and now lay lifeless by her face, contrasting with her alive eyes that shone so many emotions Garu couldn't make out any of them, but one. Hope.<p>

"You're going to wish you were never born." Garu's voice had dropped so many decibels it sounded more like a deadly animal growl more than a human threat. Garu tore his eyes from Pucca's large ones to rest them on Tobe who had taken up a defensive position. Garu took one slow deliberate step but stops when he sees Tobe produce a small remote of some kind.

"One more step and my beautiful chandelier crashes to the floor." Garu looked up at Pucca in alarm. She would be killed on impact for the chains would be sliced through her instantly. "That's right."

"What do you want?" Garu spoke low with concealed anger but it sounded more controlled. He would do anything to save Pucca, and Tobe knew that. His evil mind exploiting Garu's true weakness.

Pucca wasn't following their conversation till the end. She was staring wide eyed at the one that still refused to release her heart from its binds. He had really come, and she scolded herself for even doubting it. Of cause Garu came to the rescue, her rational voice groaned, he wants to regain honour. Don't read anything into anything this guy does! She hushed the voice as she drank in his beautifully crafted face. She thought she had exaggerated his beauty but in reality she had undermined it. Even in her disordered form she could appreciate his figure.

Pucca focused in when she finally noticed Tobe and his triumphant smile. "You know what I want Garu. And today I'm finally getting it." Tobe paused as he thought of all the attempts and fails at humiliating or even to harm Garu, relishing in the idea of finally beating this wiry ninja.

"Fine. Let's get it over with, just let Pucca go!" Garu wanted to strike but any sudden movements and Pucca's blood will be on his hands more so than it already was.

"Why would I do that? She adds a little spice to this cat and mouse game. Her being the mouse," he flashed a cruel tinted smile up at Pucca and she visible shrunk from his gaze, enraging Garu once more. Pucca had never shrunk from anyone, no matter of their emotional state.

"What did you have in mind?" Garu couldn't help but glance up at the dripping decoration above his head. She still had a glimmer of light in her eyes even after all of this and he was determined to keep it alight.

Tobe smiled knowingly, enjoying his power over his lifelong ravel, "Allow my ninja's to attach these onto you." He gestured to the side and two faceless ninja's appeared holding metal rods and wires connecting to... What in hell is that? Pucca thought bewildered. It was a large metal box with dials but the wires connected to the front.

"What is it?" Garu said, echoing Pucca's unspoken wonders.

Tobe shook his head lightly, "Ah, ah, ah. That would spoil the surprise." He spoke as if gently scolding a child for trying to peep at their birthday presents. Garu stood calculating, Pucca gazing down worriedly. He couldn't be seriously considering this! Pucca was outraged costing her more effort than she had first thought. Emotions were tiring, she mused.

"... Alright."

Pucca couldn't believe it. Neither could Tobe who looked as of he was about to start prancing around the room in sheer delight. Garu had actually agreed to such a stupid demand... To save her? He thought seeing him crumble under the likes of Tobe before she died herself was saving her? She didn't think she had the energy to be angry but there it was boiling up in her. She forced her throat to croak, a weak sound that echoed throughout the room, and she knew this was going to hurt but she couldn't let Garu do this.

The sound of Pucca's horse voice, so soft and broken though she bit her words to portray her anger, cause not only Garu's head to snap up to stare at her struggle to talk but cause Tobe to curiously stare up as well. "Don't... Yo- you... Dare. Garu..." the sound of his name passing her bloody lips made his stomach flip in multiply emotions. Angry, hope, awe, longing, and one he wasn't familiar with at all. He couldn't even place what the name of it was. It didn't matter. She was speaking to him, and she was confusing him as always. Don't what? He wanted to ask but his throat had closed. Did she wish to doe here instead of being saved by him? To be seen or touched by him? By god he wanted to touch her. To heal her wounds and sooth away her fears. He shook those preposterous thoughts away scolding at himself in disgust.

"What don't you want him to do Pucca?" Tobe asked instead, his tone playful though growing tired of being distracted.  
>Pucca managed to glare at Tobe before focusing her level though growing weak stare on Garu. "Don't... D-do... It... Fight! Fig-fight..." Her voice gave out before she had said all she had wanted to but her message seemed to have gotten across as she saw acknowledgement appear on Garu's stern face. His posture changed into that of a noble fighter and Pucca felt her eyes beginning to sting from withholding tears. Her eyes were drawing shut as she began to daze off. She forced herself to try and stay present but at some point or another she had rendered unconscious.<p>

...

Ching danced around an rushing ninja. She giggled as she saw him grunt to turn to swing at her. She dodged the kunai with easy and twirled once more just to agitate her opponent. She was having such a easy time with this one she had time to check up on Abyo's situation.

Abyo, oblivious of her eyes on him, smacked a ninja with the elbow that was curled around the ninja's arm into their face for it them to stagger back. The ninja lost their balance and tumbled backwards. More dashed at Abyo, who decided it was time for his special distraction technique. He jumped into the air, gave a mighty "Hy-YA!" and ripped his shirt in two. His distraction gave him a few measly seconds which was all he needed to plunge a kunai in one's chest and punch another off the roof.

Ching admired Abyo's chest but was drawn into another face off. Tone certainly had recruited a lot of ninja's recently, Ching thought with a grunt. And more being called she was sure. This was going to be a long night. Garu... Hurry, she prayed.

...

Garu pounced before Tobe could register his sudden change of heart. Pucca wanted him to fight. He would fight. Garu knocked the remote to control the chandelier to the side as he clashed with a opposing kunai at the base of Tobe's throat. Tobe had only enough time to protect his throat with his own kunai but had to watch the remote skid away from possible grasp.

"That was a big gamble Garu." Tone pushed back but his surprise was gone and he still held his triumphant look.  
>Garu retaliated but not with words as he seemed beyond the point of forming them. He had let his anger overrun his reasoning and his blood thirst was taking control. He produced another kunai from his pouch and aimed it for Tobe's gut. Tobe angled his body so the kunai slipped just off its mark to graze his side. He hissed into Garu's face but began to smile.<p>

Garu, haven neglected the other two ninja's in the room, was vaguely surprised when they attacked from behind. He took a blow to the right shoulder shoving him to that side but was able to halt another assault on his bruising shoulder. He growled in aggravation at being interrupted as he circled the two ninja's, seeing Tobe with a still smiling face walk to retrieve the remote where ever it had slid off to in the dark. Garu couldn't let him have it. In fact, he couldn't even allow Tobe to be walking for what he had done to Pucca. Garu caught a lunging body as it foolishly went for his centre and swung it easily into the nearest object. As it so happened it was number one's companion. Number two staggered on impact, and as he had held his kunai out in front of him defensively he had effectively tore into his friends stomach leaving a gaping hole in the body laying before him. Number one gasped as his life was swiftly collected by the guards of the dead. Number two frozen, haven never killed a team member had forgotten the first rule drilled into a aspiring Ninja's, Garu took the opportunity to stop his grieving before it had even begun. Lesson number one; always keep moving.

Garu turned to go after Tobe who had disappeared into the dark when he heard a whimper above him. He turned his adrenaline filled eyes up to see Tobe hanging lightly off the chandelier besides the unconscious Pucca. Pucca had make the noise instinctively because of the kunai pressed against her once soft now ragged skin by her defenceless throat. Tobe had been unable to locate the remote so he decided the next best thing was to physically threaten Garu's greatest weakness.

"Your move," Tobe still spoke as if this were a game. Garu threw shuriken. Tobe playfully flicked them away. The chandelier, though on a strong metal cable, couldn't take more weight on it than it was already holding so joining Tobe was out of the question. Throwing more shuriken may prove to be more harmful to Pucca than Tobe if he decided to leave them to travel their way towards him also meaning her. Garu had to get him on the floor and he had to restrain him. Garu had formulated a plan before Tobe had the time to inhale.

Garu jumped, yet not straight up but diagonal to the wall. He paused for a split second before launching back towards Tobe from his side that Tobe just braced for impact. They collided, both tumbling sideways off the chandelier. The air seemed to thicken around Garu and his pray causing their fall to become endless. He struck Tobe's major points on his body to make his muscles to contract violently and shred themselves. Tobe retaliated with the still fist tight kunai, jabbing it into Garu's open side beneath a rib. Tobe tried to shove it in further to cause more excruciating damage but Garu twisted so Tobe's hand gripped air. Smacking his elbow into his enemy's jaw, Garu sprung away from Tobe just before slamming into the ground to take the shock in his bent legs. His legs vibrated as they absorbed the impact and passed it back to the ground. Garu kept his spine curved as he quickly assessed the damage causes by the kunai. It had been pushed only inches inside and had narrowly missed one of his lungs. He yanked it out before tossing it aside to glare at Tobe who was regaining his feet.

Though he had taken his impact on his back he looked unaffected. How could that be? He should have been in pain. No! He should have been crippled by that collision, Garu was sure. He had skimmed the bone snapping position by angling his legs and feet in just the correct way. Tobe stared right into Garu's eyes with a crazed look and began to laugh. Laughter shook his body as his sanity drifted away on a little rowing boat out of sight. "Surprised Garu? I stand before you a healthy man even after such a fall!" He laughed again causing Garu's skin to ripple with unease. This wasn't the Tobe he had known as a boy, this was an insane man who had travelled along the path of devastation too long and had left him a broken version of himself. "I learn. I learn the arts of the body. I learn so many things. I practised these arts that were once possessed by gods. I created my own arts from fusing ours with theirs. I was to become the new god! But there was one hitch. An annoying blockage to my plans..." Tobe drifted off into a moments silence after his rambles, leaving Garu to collect his own thoughts. Tobe muttered again but his voice grew in intensity along with sound, "you. You were my obstacle. You! Garu, my rival from years ago. I had to find you again. Easy as that was I then had to get you to come. I had her. You would come... I had to destroy you to gain my immortality! I will be one of the gods. And you will help! You are my final bump; I am so close to achieving my life's goal. You are mine. You will die!" Tobe lunged, his crazed eyes gleaming in life. He was mad.

Garu jumped back to avoid the pouncing man. Garu couldn't grasp what was truly being told but he knew one thing. It was him or Tobe who would be leaving. One or neither. And Garu knew who he wanted to win. He kicked out at Tobe's turning form; lashing him back a couple of steps but Tobe seemed unfazed as he refocused his charged mental stampede. Garu backed up as he scarcely dodged quick slashes at his face and chest. He jumped sideways to avoid Tobe as he ran headlong into the wall where Garu just was. Garu took a hasty step back to collect his strategies when his foot slipped on the floor. He regarded the rusty metallic stained floor near one of the wooden posts supporting the building. Blood and he knew exactly whose. It was as though someone had dropped a lit math on a floor soaked in fuel. Fury burned in his veins as he looked on at the crazy Tobe. Maybe Garu had gone crazy at that moment as well, he'd never know but at the moment he stared levelly with the mad sinister eyes with matching intensions.

Tobe skidded as he lunged once more. Garu gripped the wooded beam to his left, where not too long ago Pucca have been restrained against, and boosted himself. He swung his legs towards the on coming blur, Garu almost suspended in time as his body angled practically parallel to the floor, he watched as his foot connected with Tobe's surprised face. Tobe spiralled to the left but regained his composure as he bounced off the wall to land in a crouch. Garu released his hold on the beam he was still gripping to land in his own defensive crouch. They attacked simultaneously, exact opposites but in sink as mirror images. Both collided in an awkward angle causing both competitors to tumble to either side for the room shaking from the knock they had just taken. Garu had taken a hit to the side where the kunai had bit into and a bruising smack to the back of his head from Tobe's misplaced elbow as they stumbled from each other. Tobe seemed as if the solid crack to his knee was just a flutter of wings brushing him, and the gorged out cheek was just a minor cut. His teeth bashed together, blood dripping from the hole down his chin and throat. Garu couldn't see the tongue lick at the blood through the hole savouring it's own taste. Revolted Garu's nostrils flared which causing the ripped skin to tug up in a chilling smile, the blood spitting from the wound along with salver that couldn't be contained. Tobe shook with laughter as he shook his mutated head, splashing blood as his head swung side to side.

Disgusted, Garu pulled out his final kunai, many of them already used on the roof and during his and Tobe's earlier demonstrations of skill. Garu shot forwards throwing his weapon with enough force to split a metal training tool. Tobe ground his teeth as he playfully batted the kunai from it's path with his own. Garu was now without kunai's, but he still had his plan that he needed to execute quickly other wise he could see the end of this won't go as he had hoped. Garu caught sight of something sharp at the corner of his eye and when he glanced over there was a large metal table with sharp deadly looking weaponry scattered carelessly upon it.

A loud clatter boomed inside the room. The noise had came from the roof where noises of an obvious fight were whispering through the hole Garu had entered from. Garu vaguely hoped that Abyo and Ching were doing alright before swatting away the stupid idea. They could handle themselves. Just like Pucca, his mind taunted but Garu refused to let it get to him. They could handle it. Garu made a play for the closest one which turned out to be a long wooden handled carving knife that was the length of Garu's forearm. Garu had just turned to impale the body that had flung itself at him with a kunai scarcely scratching him on the cheek. Tobe laughed, the large knife trembling as it transferred it to Garu's cramping hand. Tone smiled down on the sitting Garu, who was leaning far enough away so he had not been stabbed himself. Tobe's wound dripped only to land on Garu's gasping face. He'd seen many die but the idea that someone was as seriously wounded like Tobe still lived, even laughing at Garu's attempts at his life unnerved him to his shaken core. The blood and salver made its way down Garu's face, leaving a trail where it had been making Garu look as out he had shed a bloody tear.

Tobe dropped his forgotten kunai as he reached to pull the carving knife from his abdomen, his other hand shot out to grip Garu's throat with brutal strength. Garu gasped at the sudden restriction of his oxygen intake. One of Garu's hands scrapped at the thing snaking around his neck while the other scanned blindly across the hard floor. His fingers grazed the forgotten kunai and he sung it to slice at Tobe's arm. Garu hacked wildly, anger burning at the thought of Tobe being able to break through Garu's hard exterior. Only one other person had unintentionally done it in the last few days and he was determined to save that single person. The hand spasmed and released. Well it didn't exactly release, more like detached itself from its owner and dropped to the floor between Garu's sprawled legs. Tobe's detached head twitched before lying still. Tobe's enraged shout echoed but as he pulled the knife from his body Garu was moving though a little dazed from lack of air.

Garu produced a long thin chain-like object from his pouch. He ha slipped it in before he had left his house but because of it's length he hadn't been able to carry as many kunai and shuriken as normal. He whipped it at Tobe's rides form, the end of the chain wrapping around his middle which Garu then tugged to tighten. Garu gained his feet to sprint to the nearest solid beam. He skidded on the blood that covered the floor near the beam, which he then rapidly yanked Tobe back to restrain him against. Tobe made feeble attempts to break free but it seemed like even this new version of Tobe couldn't take a decapitated body part. Tone screamed in frustration and what Garu hoped was pain. Garu yanked till he thought he heard Tobe's ribs crack with the force he was creating. He secured it and backed off to soak in the view of the man that had harmed the girl her... He couldn't finish that sentence but the sight of the bleeding helpless Tobe brought pure joy to Garu's face. He sneered at the glaring man as he watched Tobe kick at the blood stained floor. That reminded him of the reason he was even there.

Garu looked up and was thankful that Pucca was still unconscious; he would hate it for her to see what was going to happen. Not that she hadn't already been through hell and back, he scolded himself. Garu climbed up the ladders just by the entrance of the building to clamber onto the platform where he assumed they brought her up to attach her. He grimaced; remembering his injured side as he reached up for what looked like a control panel. He studied the controls all the while ignoring the shouts of his enemy. "You think this won't affect her? You think you'll be able to sooth her scars though you caused many of them? You can't heal her alone! She loved you and you rejected her like trash. It'll never be the same!" Garu growled deep in his throat. He wanted to go down and shut Tobe the hell up but he had to focus on getting Pucca. Tobe was speaking what Garu was thinking himself but it hurt that much more when spoke aloud. "She'll have nightmares and you won't be there to console her! You'll leave her as you did your dying parents."

Garu forced himself to distance himself from his senses as he found the button to lower the chandelier. He heard a Crain like sound echo as he dimly saw the twisted metal lower to the floor. He stopped it as soon as the small crystals that hung from the bottom of the metal bars so he knew that he hadn't jolted her. Garu hastily scrambled down to rush to face Pucca's sleeping face. She looked so peaceful though her face and body was mattered in blood and sweat. Her body was totally revealed to him but Garu paid no attention apart from scanning the wound that covered her skin. Garu pulled himself up so he was in the position to catch her when he had removed all of the restraining chains. He gently removed the chains but he grimaced as he watched the skin that had began to heal around the metal rip once more to bleed over his palms. The last sticky chain fell to the floor with a thud and Garu thanked his ninja reflexes as he caught Pucca's limp body. He carefully dropped to the floor, shifting Pucca so he carried her like a baby clutched to his chest that was moving rapidly. He was angry, angry at the world for making him see her so defiled, angry at himself for causing this and finally and most angry with the still screaming man behind him as he walked towards the exit.

Garu kicked out, ignoring the pain in his side as he did, to violently open the wooden door which was lined with a thin metal coating. The door swung open knocking aside a guard ninja as it did. He slumped to the floor unconscious from the hit. Garu stood with a circle of ninja's facing him ready to attack. Garu growled, all ready to fight but that would mean leaving the already barely handing on Pucca defenceless and that wasn't going to happen again if Garu could help it. Waves of rage and ruthless danger radiated from Garu's being from his soul to his body.

From on unforgettable event to another, the ninja's began to drop the weapons and retreat with weary looks. They wanted to live and they could tell upsetting this unstable Ninja in particular would end them for sure. Abyo suddenly dropped besides Garu along with Ching not too long after. Ching's sharp intake of breath made the ninjas that were backing off freeze. She switched her fiery gaze from her bloody White-faced friend that was slumped in Garu's arms to the ninjas obstructing her way. Abyo tensed as he put his hand on Garu's shoulder, silently offering him to hold on to Pucca while he got the bloodlust out of his system. Garu tensed, about to take him up on his kind offer but the ninja's turned and ran into the trees that howled.

Ching was about to take after them but Garu's sharp demand stopped her. "The explosives." Ching fished into her bag and held out the wires, a timer and what looked like white putty. Abyo carefully pulled out a number of small black objects containing the explosives. Garu walked off towards the trees, his comrades following swiftly as Garu gently set Pucca down on the soft mud. He stood slowly, as if contemplating of leaving her even for a seconds though her knew Ching and Abyo would put down their lives to protect her. Like he would. He silently took the equipment from his company before storming back into the building. Tobe had stopped struggling as he assumed that Garu would have taken off and that his minions would come and release him. What he didn't expect was a stony Garu to come strolling back with something bundled in his hands. Silently Garu began to set up. He used the putty to attach the timer to besides the door and the wires to connect to it. He carefully stretched out the wires to connect to all four Walls and to the centre where Tobe sat curiously. Garu then attached the small but powerful explosives to the beam above and besides Tobe. Tobe's face whitened as he recognised the set up. Garu was going to blow him up.  
>Garu walked back to the timer to set it. 1:00. It began. Garu went to walk out when he heard a desperate Tobe call after him. "You can't just leave me!" Garu turned with a stormy expression to the man he was about to leave to die. 0:46.<p>

"You can't just walk away! You were never like that. You can't just run away from your problems like you have been. If I'm gone there's always another. She isn't yours and you can't save her all the time!" Garu stared down at the pathetic crazy man as he tried to worm his way into Garu's mind, picking at what might cause him to react. 0:27. But Garu had shut down and now just wanted to leave and watch this whole place, the place that held the memory of Pucca's tortured time inside it's walls.

"Enjoy hell." Garu turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him. Tobe looked helplessly at the timer left just in his eye line as Garu had intended. He wanted Tobe to sweat with every second that past as he begged for forgiveness from any god that would listen. 0:18. Garu met up with his friends and he finally noticed their grubby spent expressions. They had minor bumps and bruises, a few cuts here and there but relativity in tact. Garu knew he could trust then to be fine. He smiled grimly at his only close friends which they replied with tight ones of their own though satisfied. Ching was nursing Pucca's wounds. 0:0.9. Garu bend and scooped up the limp girl, partly so he could take her home and partly because he craved to touch her again, to readies himself that she was alive. 0:05.

Garu looked up at the couple who had hugged as Ching was shaking as tears tacked her body. Her best friend was back but in a terrible condition. 0:03. Ching clung to her boyfriend and they both looked on at the building. Garu half turned to he could keep Pucca from the blast. 0:02. He breathed in.

0:01.

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><p><strong>Everyone enjoys a good explosive or two :) See ya Tobe!<strong>

**Tobe: Bitc- *BOOOM***

**Me: :D muhahahaha!... Damn, this makes me sound nuts *-***


	6. Chapter 6

**Me: Final chapter unless I hear objections... *Silence* Alrightly then!**

**Enjoy :D**

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><p>Pucca felt cold but also warm. Why was that? She felt as if she was flying but also was solidly fixated. She felt her weak heart thud but there was another thudding, a stronger one by her ear. Pucca forced her body to comply and open her eyes. They were blurry but she could just make out Garu. Garu was here and... He was holding her, she realised. She was being cradled in his arms. Before she could feel pleasure at the situation a loud boom attacked her ears and she screamed trying to cover them with her feeble bloody hands. She squinted to see a massive fire burning a building behind Garu's shoulders. The building I was in, Pucca thought. Smoke was twirling high above the trees and she bet even Australia could see the black soot rise.<p>

Dark eyes met hers with an emotion she couldn't understand. Garu... Her head hurt but it was dimming. In fact her whole body felt like it was going numb. Her hands that had flown to her ears to protect them fell limp by her sides, her eyes beginning to close and glaze. What was happening? Was she finally dying? She thought it was cruel that her last beautiful sight would be her beloveds face cloud in worry as it stared down at her. She wanted to say goodbye. Why couldn't she at least say her goodbyes? It would take moments but they were not granted. Pucca settled for her silent goodbye that she hoped to portray with her eyes. Goodbye Garu... I will always love you... Pucca died in the arms of her one love from childhood.

...

No! Garu panicked. Pucca had opened her beautiful big eyes but suddenly her heart gave one last weak shudder before lapsing into dormant silence. Pucca was gone and Garu hadn't been able to protect her. His nightmare had come to bitter reality. She couldn't be gone. She had chased him to his sanitise end; she couldn't have side so easily and left him. Garu dropped her body to the floor gently and looked up at Ching's horrified face in help. "What do I do?"

"CPR!" Ching answered back shocked at Pucca's sudden death and Garu's reaction.

"How do I do that?" he challenged angry.

"Move!" Garu stared at her blankly as if she just started to speak another language. "Move!" Abyo grabbed Garu by the arm and tugged him out of Ching's way. Ching dropped to Pucca's side, quickly positioning her head so her wind pipe was clear and began to breathe into her friend's mouth. Three breaths later she lightly trailed her hand up Pucca's bloody rips to rest over the place Ching was taught. She began to press hard and quick counting thirty before restarting the whole process. Garu stood staring down at the scene in front of him and for the first time he felt like a burden and inadequate. Abyo was shoving him and harder by the second as Garu refused to move. He was transfixed with the scene of Ching calmly trying to restore Pucca's life. Another hard shove Garu finally heard what Abyo must have been shouting at him all this time.

"Go!" Abyo was stressed at the reactions of his friends as he himself struggles to think of a world without that cheerful girl bouncing along the streets of the village. Garu looked unseeingly at Abyo. He was beginning to realise that he must have been in quite a state if the instructions that were getting yelled at him were getting simpler. "Get help!" he shoved again. This time Garu nodded and ran off without another glance at the body. Of he saw her like that again he'd have to stay just to be with her. He ran with all he had, ignoring the pains and complains of his body. He ran; for the life of him he ran.

...

Ring-ring sat in the waiting room anxiously. The police had been informed that not only was Garu gone so was Abyo and Ching. But she didn't care about Abyo or Ching. On Garu, where are you? Why did you go after her? Wasn't I enough for you? Many men in this god forsaken village wanted her, she thought venomously, so why not you? She had come to the station as she was called in for her account on _Her_ kidnapping and Garu and the other's disappearance. She knew it was Tobe who had taken _Her_. She ears the officers muttering about it. She deserved it for hogging everyone's attention so much, Ring-ring sneered.

Suddenly a recognisable shout echoed down the road to the station. Along with many of the officers, including Officer Bruce, Ring-ring rushed out of the door to see a running ninja. He was running, calling for an ambulance. God help her, he was bleeding! Her mind screeched. Ring-ring called out to him but if he heard he ignored her and kept dashing towards the hospital. Ring-ring felt heat rise to her face at his ignorance of her calls.

...

Three small colourful people with full smiles met him near the doors of the hospital. Because of their constant grins decorating the petite faces they were rightfully nicknamed 'Smiley men'. Breathless from the run and blood loss Garu gasped that he needed help. The smiley men began to path him up and made him sit in the back of the ambulance even after his refusal. He gabbled saying that Pucca was the one who needed help and that she'd stopped breathing. The smiley men, though smiles still stayed their expression, they acted immediately. Gather themselves so there were at least seven of them, they took off, Garu fidgeting in the front seat giving directions. Garu caught sight of blue haired girl but couldn't place a name with the over makeup-ed face. All that mattered was to get help.

...

Ching wanted so desperately to panic but that was a luxury that she couldn't afford. Panic made you miss things and she had to be fully awe to save her best friend. She had ordered Abyo to scan the area to make sure there were no stray ninja's still hanging about before running to the stream to collect some water. Ching wanted Pucca's wounds to be a least cleaned down so when the ambulance got here they could see the work to be done easier. While she kept up the CPR she ordered Abyo to wipe off the blood and sweat that covered Pucca like a second skin containing the horror she had experienced.

Abyo flushed slightly as he revealed areas of Pucca that only a lover should have seen and felt but he pushed past it to clean up the wounds. Abyo, while cleaning the cuts on Pucca's legs, noticed some White liquid that he had came to accumulate with a certain activity that he and Ching had experienced. He ground his teeth realising that Pucca must have been touched inappropriately at some point during her capture. Abyo grimaced as he thought of telling him what he suspected had also happened to the poor girl he was cleaning.

A siren in the distance reassured Ching as she breathed again into Pucca's dry mouth, watching down her chest to make sure it was rising and falling. She began to pump Pucca's chest again when the siren stopped and the sound of feet rushed towards them. Ching was pushed away gently as the smiley men took over, one carrying on the CPR, another readying the shock machine. They attached wires to four precise places on Pucca's body, and then attached it to the box besides one of the smiley men. The one pressing on Pucca's chest, manually pumping her heart, nodded and let go just as his comrade flipped a switch and an electric shock shook Pucca's body.

Garu stood ridged as he watched unseeingly as they flipped the switch again and another gut wrenching shock attacked her body. She looked so small in between everyone's body. Her petite hands twitched in reaction to the shocks. Garu felt cold as he watched the body continue to be shocked in attempts to spark life. Garu could t believe that Pucca would give up on him. She told him to fight, why couldn't she do the same for him? Garu turned and stormed away from the mass of voices just so he was far enough so it was only a dim buzz in the back ground. He had to think. He had to... What? She was gone and he couldn't save her, just like Tobe said. "Why aren't you fighting for me?" He heard the voice scream the question and was shocked to find that it was his voice blaring the noise, and that he'd fell to his knees on the verge of sobbing in frustration. He was shocked at his own words. Why would she have to fight for him? He never wanted her before... But he did now, he thought. He wanted her so much it left a ache in his chest. Come back to me, he prayed broken. Yes. Her death had broken him, unhinged his heart to realise his feelings just as she left him hanging when she died. Garu had once been viewed as the ninja that was tough and wasn't emotionally attached as it wasn't his destiny. Garu clutched mud in his palms above his head. He'd slammed his head to the ground to try and clear if from these troublesome feelings but all it did was release more of his trapped emotions. They flooded like a baby river that became an ocean.

Pucca...

"She's stable! We gotta get her back now."

Pucca! She was alive? Garu twirled so fast his head spun. He ran back to see Pucca being hoisted onto a stretcher and loaded into the ambulance. But that didn't matter, what mattered was the small rapid movement of her chest. And none was doing it. She was breathing again. Garu lunged to do... Well he didn't know but he was stopped by Abyo grabbing his arm and Ching stepping in to also block his way. He struggled but a hard slap froze him enough to listen.

Ching's hand stung from the connection of skin to skin but she ground her words out, "You can't help her Garu. She's being taken to hospital. The best you can do now is going home and getting some rest, like the rest of us." Ching also hated the idea of leaving Pucca alone but she knew what she was saying was true.

"She'll be alright. They will help her so just go home." Garu looked at Ching with such an emotional expression she almost caved. She'd never seen so much raw emotions from Garu, for as long as she knew him, and it made her heart sing that Pucca could draw such feeling from him. He really did love her, she thought with a small smile. Garu figured that Ching was right but he was still going to see Pucca. He ran towards town and towards the hospital where Pucca was being taken. If he couldn't help the best he could do was be there when she wakes up.

Ching watched Garu run off knowing that he wasn't going to take her advice. She felt exhausted and could only imagine what Pucca must have felt. She shuddered but was then engulfed by warm solid arms. She snuggled back against Abyo appreciating his support. He'd really grown these past few years, she thought with a smile. He may have grown but he still had his dorky moments that remind her of how he was when he was younger. "Come on. I'll take you home. It's been a long day," he tucked her under he crook of his arm and lead the way towards her house in the village. They reached the door of Ching's home and they turned to look at each other.

"I hope you aren't expecting and invite inside," Ching teased in an attempt to lighten the mood. She didn't want to depart of a depressing note. She knew Pucca was going to be alright. And pissed that we missed her eighteenth. Ching giggled at the face she picture Pucca pulling. She decided that the part was still going to happen, even if it wasn't such a good build-up as she had hoped for. Another wave of sadness coursed through Ching as she thought of the fact that Pucca had to go through all of that on her birthday.

Abyo made a show of pouting in a disheartened way, like a rejected puppy Ching compared. "But that was the whole idea of being an escort! Oh, come on, I'll make it worth your time," Abyo trailed his hand up Ching's side, grazing the side of her breast to snake around her neck to grip the little hairs at the back. He pulled her head back to give her a light kiss but both melted into its innocence unconsciously. Passion blazed through Abyo but his ninja training urged him to stop. With a departing sigh he released Ching from the kiss leaving her flushed and wide eyed. Blushing furiously Ching bid Abyo goodnight and he promised to be there first thing in the morning so they could both go and visit Pucca. Abyo left and couldn't help the small smile on his lips at replaying their departing kiss. He worried about Pucca, as Ching did as she drifted off to sleep, but he knew that she would be taken care of. He just worried about what would happen once she wakes.

...

Garu walked up to the receptionist and requested to see Pucca. He was told that she was in surgery to stop the internal bleeding and to bandage her wounds to heal. He politely asked how long she would be in the theatre and was told only an hour or so as he body had felt with most of the wounds itself as expected.

"If you would like you are allowed to wait in the waiting room till she is released. I'll tell you when you can go up to her room."

"Thank you."

"If you don't mind me asking sir, but what is your connection to Miss Pucca?" the receptionist was curious on Garu's relationship statues but was polite enough to rephrased her question so she wouldn't seem to be asking something inappropriate such as 'Is she your girlfriend?'

Garu paused as he was about to say something but it didn't seem to fit their relations. He shrugged and answered with what he would have said before such drastic events had happened, "She's a friend." With that he walked to take a seat in the waiting room, the receptionist left with a hesitant question for his number not knowing that Garu didn't own a phone at the moment. Garu waited and time just blurred into meaningless nothings as he pondered what he was about to say to the woman at the desk. What is his connection with Pucca? What was he going to say to that? What did he want the answer to be? He let his head fall into his palms and he glared down at the floor almost trying to scare it into revealing the answers he sought. He decided to start with the easiest answers. She was his childhood friend. His childhood stalker. She intrigued him, always able to get under his skin. The idea of her death caused him pain like he didn't think possible. She had made him worry about something as silly as not having a gift for her birthday. Garu's eyes widened. Pucca would still be in theatre for an hour and he had an idea to cheer her up when she eventually woke. He gained his feet and fixed his strides so he walked out of the hospital in a few mere steps. The receptionist stared after him in dazed eyes mentally wondering what his tight butt looked like naked.

He knew what he was getting and again the idea of he face when he presented her with it sent joy around his system.

...

Ring-ring now sat outside of Garu's house as she waits for his return. He must have found her if he had returned to the town asking for help. Jealously made Ring-ring want to march up to Pucca and demand that she gave Garu up. Ring-ring's mind contemplated all the things she expected Garu to do once he truly saw her which most revolved around him begging for forgiveness. On his knee's. With a glistening diamond ring. She grinned at the thought and that's when she spotted the small smiled ninja walked towards her with his head sunk low. He was happy to see her and was going to apologise, she thought with surety. When he raised his eyes to meet hers with anger and confusion her hopes of a proposal skidded from her head. Garu purposely ignored her as he passed into his home. Ring-ring felt rejected anger bubble as she watched him stroll inside to retrieve a plastic bag. The plastic bag that she had taunted him with only the other night. The night that he proved that he was his own man and kissed her.

"Aren't you going to say something? You hooked up with me then ran off to save a old girlfriend and you don't think you should apologise?"

Garu scarcely glanced at her as he walked out clutching the bag. "We did not hook up."

Ring-ring reddened in embarrassment and anger, "Yes we did! You were even the one to kiss me." She looked triumphant as she stared at Garu's frozen back.

"You blackmailed me. I had no choice," Garu wanted to spit the words at he but he was taught better.

"All I said was kiss me if you didn't like Pucca and I'd give back the bag. You were the one who was passionate about the kiss," Ring-ring said as if it was nothing. "And you did kiss me so..." she trailed off leaving the obvious answer hang.

"Again, you blackmailed me. And what you read as passion was something entirely different." Garu bit his words in frustration. He was ashamed that he had kiss Ring-ring to prove, not to her, but to himself that Pucca really didn't matter to him. He was an idiot and it had almost coated him the woman he longed for. Garu continued to walk away as Ring-ring called after him in a chilled tone. Gary was beginning to recognise a pattern in being called after.

"You really think _She_ will forgive you? She was there you know. She saw the whole thing!" Garu sped up as he knew the truth to her words. Pucca had saw but not the whole thing like Ring-ring thought. Pucca would have understood if she knew the whole situation, he thought fiercely mostly to convince himself.  
>Ring-ring bore hole in Garu's retreating back. Why did <em>She <em>always get everything?

...

Birds chirped at the window filling the silent room with soothing natural music. Pucca blinked at the bright room filled with daylight. She felt groggy and heavy. She felt a soft bed beneath her fingers and heavy bandages wrapped rightly around her being. She felt like an Egyptian Mummy thought she was pretty sure that her origins were inside her rather than it random animal head creepy jaws. Pucca blinked again to take in the area around her. She was alive and in a hospital if all the tubes and wires attached to her was anything to go by.

Then something caught her eye. At the bottom of her bed a dark figure was slumped against the bed, its head cradled in its crossed arms. His dark features faced towards her and her heart lurched. It really did happen. Garu had really come to rescue her. She noticed the small circles forming under his eyes from restlessness. She took a few minuets just to soak in his gorgeous face and jet black hair that had fallen from his usual pig tails. That would sound girly for any other male but he somehow carried it off perfectly. Pucca wanted to run her hands through the black strands desperately. She shifted as if to get up but her muscles felt exhausted and the slight movement hurt like hell.

Her sharp breath causes her sleeping avenger to rouse. She watched as he opened his eyes to reveal dark eyes just as mysterious as his personality. He blinked up at her and many expressions passed through his eyes. He straightened in his chair as he remembered how he had gotten there. He had come back, bag in hand and waited another half hour till he was called by the receptionist. He was quickly checked over to make sure the stitches' that were in his side hadn't erupted before getting clean bandaging on. He was then shown to the room where Pucca lay peaceful and cleaned, like a beautiful positional doll that as taken to the make believe hospital by a child.

"Hey," Garu spoke hoarsely and Pucca's stomach dropped. His voice was like silk trailing itself along her skin. She shivered and produced a smile as radiant as the sun itself. Even if he had only saved her to gain honour she was still ever so grateful. She could see her uncles and friends again. Garu gazed at Pucca so long her smile dimmed as confusion laced into her features. Was he okay? He was acting weird. Garu suddenly reached down to produce a plastic bag and Pucca's smile slipped from her face. The bag Ring-ring had held as she kissed Garu. Or more like Garu kissed her. Pucca still felt an aching pain in her chest at the memory. Garu caught her expression and tried to reassure her, "It's not what you think. I... She- okay. Ring-ring blackmailed me. She said that if I truly didn't care for you then I had to kiss her. Back then I was angry and wanted the bag back. She... I wanted to prove to myself that you didn't matter and that I shouldn't be worrying why you hadn't chased me that day. It had unnerved me you know... When you didn't react to my presence... Like you had truly... Forgotten me. It got to me and I didn't like that so I kissed her. But then I felt nothing. I felt ashamed and disappointed. She shouldn't have taken my first real kiss... It should have bin... I don't know... Anyway, I got you this." Garu pulled out the carefully wrapped parcel and handed over to her. Pucca took the parcel in he bandaged hands, happy that whatever drug was in her drip was doing its job as she was really curious of what Garu was giving her. He had never given her a gift. That remind her that today was her birthday. It felt like such a long time ago when she had been sitting on the floor bitterly crying over her situation and loss of innocence. She was eighteen and she was in hospital. A great start.

She tore at the material but was instructed to be carful. She peeled away to reveal the most beautiful piece of glass art she had seen. It looked like the piece she had admired since she was little. She dimly remembers that she had ranted to Garu that there were only a few in existence and it touched her deeply that he remembered. The large bird's wings that were flung out in pre-flight glistened a rainbow of colours filling the room with angelic lights. It was so close to the one she admired but Pucca felt something different in the sculpture. She looked questionably over at Garu who... My god! She froze. He was blushing, the sweet hint of pink tingling across his cheeks delicately contrasting with his sharp features but soft eyes. "I know it isn't really one of the actual sculptures but... I made it as close as I could manage," he was gruff as he glanced away. When he looked back he was met with watery large eyes.

Tears dripped down Pucca's face. He had made it? He took his own time to remember her childhood desire and make such a stunning replica? Pucca stared at the sculpture past tears and she realised that she loved it even more than the sculptures she had admired when she was small. This had something better inside the delicate glass twists than angel tears. It had Garu's passion. "Don't cry." Pucca looked at Garu and smiled through the tears of joy. This was better than a birthday party she decided. She hiccupped causing Garu to gift her with something else. His stunning smile hummed through Pucca's body. This was the man she loved and always would.

"Happy birthday Pucca," Garu whispered softly as he gently wiped away the glistening tears trickling down Pucca's delicate white cheek. Garu knew something at that moment when his eyes met hers, his hand crackling her cheek. He loved this girl, the one that made him crazy in every aspect of the word, and maybe one day soon he can show her all the affection he had held back so long. And maybe one day soon he can admit to her his feelings that he was just figuring out himself.

_I love you Pucca_, Garu whispered as he grazed her cheek with a kiss. _And I'll spend a life time proving it if that's what it takes to make you love me back again._

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><p><strong>Me: Bet you were going to kill me if Pucca didn't live :)<strong>

**Garu: *Mumble* I know I would have...**

**Me: Exccccuuuuse me Garu? Did you say something? *Pulls out a spear bomb***

**Garu: *Gulps* No... N-no, I didn't say anyting. **

**Pucca: No, of cause you didn't *Sigh* :)**

**Me: So, if all you are done muttering under your breath are you ready to say it?**

***Nods* Abyo&Ching: If you want another sneak peak of Garu and Pucca's live after this Review!**

**Pucca&Garu: Even if you don't want another peak review and give Rashel a idea of her writing skills...**

**Me: You know what to do so...**

**Everyone: Thanks for reading! XD**

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><p><em><strong>Quick announcement: <strong>I was thinking of doing a spin off chapter so you guys can see what happens at the party... But not sure if I should connect it to this story as another 'chapter' or submit it as a separate thingy :P ... Any answer would be appreciated as always! :D_

**Edit!:**** I have started a sequel! Yey!** _If you want to read it it's called _**"Party Time"** _(I know, pretty lame name but I didn't know what to call it) and I'd love it if you checked it out and dropped me a little review ;)_


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